The National Assembly departmental committee on education has asked the National Treasury to reinstate the budget allocation for the hiring of junior secondary school teachers.
The committee during a meeting chaired by its chairperson Julius Melly said that the allocation would also go a long way in implementing the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and the medical cover for teachers.
The CBA and the medical cover agreement had been signed between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and teachers as part of a return to work agreement.
Melly made the remarks during a meeting with TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia to consider the 2024/25 Supplementary Estimates I.
Macharia told members that the cuts would primarily impact recurrent expenditure, affecting areas including teacher recruitment, training, implementation of the CBA and the medical cover.
She added that the cuts would affect the Commission’s ability to implement the planned recruitment of 20,000 JSS teachers in October 2024 and conversion of the terms for 46,000 interns to permanent status.
“We were expected to convert the terms for 46,000 JSS intern teachers as per the initial budget. As of now we are unable to recruit or convert intern teachers to permanent and pensionable. We have, however, written to the Treasury on this matter,” Macharia said.
Melly emphasized the importance of adequately funding the Ministry of Education and TSC, asking the Treasury to appropriate adequately.
Members expressed concern over the impact the cuts would have on teacher recruitment, promotion, and the implementation of the CBA signed with teacher unions in August 2023.
The CBA includes a salary increase of up to 9.5 percent spread over two years. However, the proposed budget cuts cast doubt on the availability of funds for this.
Furthermore, the proposed budget reduces the provision for medical cover, group life, and personal accident cover for teachers by 50 percent, creating a shortfall of Sh11.89 billion.
This could jeopardize the continuation of the current three-year medical scheme for teachers in its third year.
The overall reduction in the education sector budget is Sh33.3 billion, impacting all three State Departments under the Ministry as well as the TSC.
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