Take children to school, there’ll be teachers, TSC tells parents

A tough-talking Teachers Service Commission yesterday urged parents to take their children to school today as teachers will be available.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers has called for a strike starting today.

TSC chairperson Lydia Dzomo said the board had instructed CEO Nancy Macharia to “promptly assign teachers in its database in case of non-attendance of duty by those already employed.”

Dzomo said all teachers are expected to attend to learners as they report to school for the first term.

“We do not contemplate a situation where learners will go without a teacher. The commission does not consider premature closure of schools as an option either,” Dzomo said.

She said there must be a balance between the rights of the employees and learners. Dzomo said there will be no disruption for learning “even for the shortest duration.”

She accused Knut of using learners as human shield in their battles.

Dzomo said TSC was committed to the ongoing conciliation efforts led by the ministry of Labour-appointed mediator Charles Omanga.

She dismissed the union’s claims that TSC snubbed Tuesday talks. Knut is contesting the transfer of 3000 headteachers and failure by the employer to promote those with advanced academic qualifications.

Read: Court blocks teachers' strike, halts transfer of union officials

Other issues in the dispute include appraisal programmes and teachers’ professional development module.

The union has contested the agency’s decision to deduct teachers’ salaries to fund the capacity building programmes.

The conciliation team was appointed on December 20 and has met the two parties separately.

Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion on Tuesday said the conciliator had called for a meeting on Tuesday and that union leaders were frustrated that TSC had snubbed the meeting. He accused the agency of non-committed to the process.

Dzomo said there was no conciliation meeting planned for Tuesday as claimed by the union.

“I wish to clarify that TSC has not failed to attend any conciliation meeting to which we have been invited. This includes yesterday’s (Tuesday) purported meeting,” Dzomo said.

She said the commission was “fully committed to conciliation.” Dzomo said that the commission’s interest is to protect the rights of the learners and ensure students are safe in school.

Read: Teachers to go on strike when schools open on January 3 - Sossion

Citing a retreat TSC organised for Knut executives in October last year, Dzomo said commission had gone to great length to ensure harmony in the teaching service.

“Regrettably, the union forced an adjournment of the retreat halfway through the deliberations after it put forward two impossible pre-conditions to the negotiation.” She said Knut demanded a revocation of 85 cases of transfer of teachers who hold elective positions in the union besides demanding that its officials be exempted from any future transfers.

“Teachers are employed to serve learners and not unions,” Dzomo said, noting that Knut’s demands could not be granted as they “had no basis in law and policy.”

She said headteachers had been directed to be on hand to receive learners.

“The head of schools must be in their respective stations to ensure quality learning and teaching, and that there is no disruption whatsoever to those programmes,” she said.

The chairperson was flanked by board members as she addressed the press at the TSC headquarters in Nairobi.

Separately and at another function, Education CS Amina Mohamed said schools will open today even as the conciliation efforts continue. “The government is totally committed to ensuring that our children start school tomorrow (today). We are prepared and ready to ensure that learning begins as planned,” Amina said.

She said the government will ensure learning is not disrupted by “threats that may have been issued.”

“Form 1 students will report on January 7 and that too will come to pass,” the CS said.