Knut, Kuppet roles in education sector not clear

Grieving parents, relatives and friends at Kakamega County Referral Hospital where 13 pupils were confirmed dead after a stampede at their school. PHOTO | ISAAC WALE 

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The education sector has in the recent past been hit by calamities that saw eight children lose their
lives at Talent Academy in Dagoretti South Constituency, Nairobi, and recently at Kakamega Primary School where 14 lives were also lost after a stampede that saw children scramble to exit the classrooms upstairs through the narrow staircase.

The recent killing of teachers in northern Kenya saw non local teachers resigning en mass. For the Talent Academy, Education Secretary George Magoha prevailed upon the proprietors and had the school closed because of poor facilities, while in Kakamega, the ministry in collaboration with the police have launched an investigation into the stampede.

The teachers’ unions through their leaders accuse the ministry of Education of mismanagement, lack of oversight and poor supervison. They have accused ministry officials of stage-managing disasters instead of dealing with the root-cause of the problems.

Union leaders, the majority of whom are teachers, behave like they live in Mars while such events occur in a new planet called earth. They look lost even in their makeshift press statements where they blame the ministry of Education for everything.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) argued that the closures are a mere public relations gimmick that should stop immediately.

On October 2, 2019, Kuppet officials led by chairman Omboko Milemba and Secretary-General Akello Misori held a press conference and asked the CS not to close schools that were in deplorable situations, but asked him to first deal with corrupt officials at the ministry.

The CS is not the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss nor the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). If they have facts to show that ministry officials are corrupt, then let them report those officials to the police. Action will be taken by the relevant authorities, the CS does not have powers to arrest or prosecute. The CS cannot have his eyes on every institution of learning, there are teachers who are institution managers who should identify problems and cascade to the authorities for immediate action.

Teachers should, however, be adequately trained to ensure safety of the learners.

Some of them have even transitioned to become law makers but hold on to their positions as officials in the teachers associations. One wonders whether they blame the government for lack of oversight or blame Parliament for failing to enact or strengthen laws that govern the education sector.

When the ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) were training teachers in readiness for the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) take–off early last year, Knut was against it. TSC put on the spot 219 teachers who faced various disciplinary actions, 42 teachers were dismissed and 124 interdicted. The commission vowed to recover salaries it paid to Knut members who were facing disciplinary actions following the April 2019 chaotic scenes during the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) training.

Knut through its Secretary- General gave endless reasons why the country was not ready for the new system and even threatened to boycott the process. But the ministry in collaboration with other stakeholders rallied members of the public to seek diverse opinions.

Private entities like the Nation Media Group (NMG) organised events where CBC was the main agenda of discussion. The CS was categorical that no one would stop the process, and for sure the ministry finally brought in all the stakeholders and launched CBC last year. During this event, drama ensued when Knut officials who had blatantly refused to register for the launch tried to force their way into KICC. It was mandatory for all the delegates to register.

One wonders then what values these bodies inculcate in the learners they have been entrusted to teach. They seem to oppose even what would be helpful to the common Kenyan child. Whose interest do they serve?

When disaster strikes, we need to be together and provide possible solutions. But instead they are the ones who run to the press and blame the government for everything. It is possible the Knut may accuse the ministry of not building the bridges in areas where it was reported children had to swim across the river to attend school. What about dilapidated roads?

It is high time the government cracks the whip and put clear the roles of the teachers’ bodies.

Pius Nunda Via Email