Junior Secondary School (JSS) educators employed on a contractual basis by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) are considering a strike in January 2024 if the government doesn’t improve their employment conditions.
Teachers in Homa Bay County voiced their concerns during a protest, emphasizing that if the government doesn’t confirm their transition to permanent and pensionable positions, they will stop working.
The TSC had initially hired these teachers on a contract basis the previous year to teach in JSS institutions located within primary schools nationwide, with a promise to move them to permanent roles.
During a press conference in Homa-Bay town, the teachers urged the government to finalize their employment terms and transfer them to senior secondary schools.
They argued that despite a year of service in JSS, they haven’t received proper employment conditions, despite facing significant workloads in these institutions.
The teachers, affiliated with the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), had previously expressed dissatisfaction with their work situation, citing excessive work and assignments in the primary schools where they are stationed.
According to Siaya County Executive Secretary Sam Opondo, “In some schools, the JSS teachers are compelled to teach primary school classes and subjects that they have not been trained to teach.”
If their demands are not met, these educators are poised to take industrial action in the coming year.
