Students Urged to Return to School Amid Teachers’ Strike Threat

Parents have been encouraged to ensure their children return to school on Monday for the third term, despite an impending teachers’ strike. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos has assured the public that the government is committed to addressing teachers’ grievances.

In a statement released on Sunday, Migos emphasized the government’s efforts to fulfill its promises to educators. “After discussions between the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the unions, the government has allocated resources for the second phase of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), effective from July 1, 2024. Additionally, resources have been provided to retrain teachers in line with the Competency-Based Curriculum,” Migos said.

Migos also highlighted that the government would continue to engage in dialogue with all education stakeholders to resolve any remaining issues. This comes as the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has called on its members to stay away from schools, citing the TSC’s failure to fully implement the current CBA.

At KUPPET’s National Governing Council meeting on Sunday, 68 members voted in favor of the strike, signaling their dissatisfaction with the current situation.

However, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has taken a different approach. Initially urging their members to boycott schools, KNUT reversed its stance on Sunday. The union announced that it is working to address the unresolved issues through administrative channels and has instructed its members to return to work on Monday, August 26, 2024.

“In light of the latest developments, we direct our teachers to resume duty on Monday,” stated Collins Henry Oyuu, KNUT Secretary General.

As schools prepare to reopen, the government remains hopeful that ongoing negotiations will prevent disruptions to the education system. The Education Ministry has called for patience and cooperation from all parties involved to ensure a smooth start to the academic term, urging teachers to prioritize their students’ learning and well-being