By: Abdikadir Okash (@abdikadirokash)
NAIROBI—Civil society orgernisation across north eastern Kenya Thursday staged a peaceful demonstration to voice their concern over the growing education crisis in the region following the mass transfer of teachers to other parts of the country. Leaders and residents alike joined the fray while condemning the move that saw more than 800 teachers granted transfer letters.
At least 50 civil rights orgernisations took part in the procession that took place in Wajir, Mandera and Garissa. The participants presented demands and recommendations to the county commissioners that represent the president at the county level.
The campaign did not end on the streets, but continued well onto the social media platforms. On Twitter, the hashtag #EndNEPEducationCrsisiNow was the most trending topic for more than two hours as users engaged each other and their leaders on the neglect and the continued marginalisation of the region.
In Wajir, the procession started from the County government headquarters through Airport Road to the County Commissioner’s office. In Mandera, it began from Moi Girls Secondary School to the Teachers Service Commission offices then to the county commissioner’s office while in Garissa, the procession started from Garissa Primary to the regional coordinator’s office.
In Garissa, the orgernisers of the procession handed a memorandum to the Regional Coordinator, Ambassador Abdi Salah who assured that he would present it President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Garissa Township Member of Parliament and the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, Aden Barre Duale, after arranging an impromptu meeting between the education stakeholders and the area leaders, and attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, William Ruto, Duale said a long-term plan to arrest the shortage of teachers have been reached, adding that it involved the local communities in the region.
“Teacher Training Colleges will admit 500 students from North Eatern in next three years in order to fill the gap,” he said. On the administration of exams to the areas students, he assured, “KNEC will administer the national examination in North Eastern like the rest of the country this year.”
He continued, “We agreed with the Minister of Education and Teachers Service Commission that extra Teachers and untrained teachers will (be) employed through the BOG (Board of Governors).”
Following the Al Shabaab attack on a Nairobi bound bus from Mandera in November last year where 20 teachers were among those killed, a number of non-local teachers moved out of the region citing insecurity fears.
The teachers have since been boycotting work demanding to be transferred to other parts of the country; an action which has brought the education sector of the region on its knees. This week, the teacher’s employer confirmed that more than 889 teachers have been transferred from the three counties of Mandera, Wajir and Garissa.
Mandera senator Billow Kerrow led his counterparts in condemning the move by the commission saying the action is a confirmation of the continued marginalization and neglect of the region by the government adding that the future of thousands of children has been put in jeopardy as a result of the government’s inability to ensure that the rights of its people are protected and safeguarded.
“This is a serious indictment of the government’s failure to address the marginalization and official neglect of the region,” he said.
He faulted the government for ignoring recommendations from local leaders which would have helped in addressing the problem. “The duplicity and official indifference to the plight of the pupils and residents of the region is obvious. When leaders requested a change of official policy to allow recruitment of untrained teachers in the region to fill the massive gap, it was declined.
“Similarly, a request to allow the lowering of the grades for admission to teachers training colleges so that the school leavers from the area can be trained as teachers, it was declined on grounds of policy.
Further, a request by leaders to allow school boards and counties to recruit private teachers is not acceptable to them. Neither is the government willing to pay stipends to those who have volunteered to teach in these schools. The only policy the government approves is the departure of teachers, and that children just remain in the school compounds to play, without learning,” the Senator said in a statement.
The Senator wondered why the government could agree to the teachers’ demands when civil servants are mandated to work in any part of the country. He further sent out a caution note that if the government fails to resolve the education crisis, thousands of school going children risk being lost to extremist groups.
“Insecurity cannot be the overriding reason for these teachers leaving the region when in all private schools in the region teachers from upcountry have not left,” he further stated.
Lagdera Member of Parliament Muhammad Shidiye took issue with KNUT’s secretary General Wilson Sossion saying the current education crisis in North Eastern is his creation.
The MP accused Sossion of inciting teachers to boycott the region and asked to resign as the head of teachers union.
