JSS Teachers Warn of Strike, Seek TSC Confirmation
JSS Teachers Warn of Strike, Seek TSC Confirmation. In the heart of Homa Bay County, a group of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), finds themselves at a critical juncture. The crux of the matter revolves around the prolonged delay in confirming their permanent, pensionable employment status, notwithstanding prior assurances from TSC during their recruitment on a contractual basis just a year ago.
Eager to articulate their discontent, these teachers orchestrated a demonstrative event in Homa Bay City. Through this action, they sent a clear signal, indicating their potential decision to cease work come January 2024 if their prevailing concerns continue to linger unaddressed. At the core of their dissatisfaction lies the unfulfilled commitment to transition from contractual roles to permanent and pensionable positions—a commitment originally made by the commission.
Related Post
During a recent press conference, the teachers systematically laid out their demands. These encompass not only a desire for relocation to senior high schools but also a firm confirmation of their employment conditions. Their frustration stems from a year of toiling under what they describe as inadequate employment conditions while grappling with the substantial workload inherent in Junior Secondary Schools, scattered across primary school premises nationwide.
Significantly, despite prior assurances from TSC, the envisaged transition has failed to materialize for these teachers, casting them into a professional limbo. This intricacy gains broader significance when considering the parallel concerns voiced by teachers affiliated with the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). Past grievances raised by KUPPET include apprehensions about excessive workloads and the teaching of subjects beyond the teachers’ original training in diverse primary institutions.
To underscore the issue further, Sam Opondo, the Siaya County Executive Secretary, explicitly stated, “In some schools, the JSS teachers are compelled to teach primary school classes and subjects that they have not been trained to teach.”
This intricate scenario provokes crucial inquiries not only into the challenges confronting JSS teachers in Homa Bay but also into the overarching commitment of the government to actualize promised transitions for JSS teachers nationwide. The imminent prospect of a work stoppage in January 2024 serves as a poignant symbol, emphasizing the imperative for expeditious intervention to redress the valid grievances of these educators.