NAIROBI—The move by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to transfer teachers from North Eastern region to other parts of the country has elicited anger and criticism among leaders.
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.
He said instead of addressing the problem of teachers shortage which has gripped the region, the education ministry is only helping to further the suffering of students from the region who have spent most of the year in an education crisis after teachers deserted the region.
“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.
Reacting to the transfers, the executive director of Muslim Education Council (MEC) Munawar Khan condemned the move as ‘discriminative’ against the region and its communities.”
He faulted TSC saying it has denied the children of North Eastern their constitutionally granted right to education and called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene.
“It is saddening for TSC to withdraw teachers from a region that requires deployment of more teachers. TSC should be recruiting and deploying untrained teachers as a temporary measure to the crisis and not withdrawing the few left, North Eastern is still part of Kenya,” he told the Friday Bulletin.
Munawar further urged North Eastern leaders to come together and swiftly devise a solution to address the crisis and secure the region’s future generation.
