Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has refused to comment on the protest by the Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPPET) over the controversial proposal from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
SRC ordered county governors to pay Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) teachers a minimum salary of Sh7, 836.
SRC recommended that the lowest ECDE teachers (ECDE Teacher III (Certificate) are to be paid a minimum salary of Sh7,836 and a maximum of Sh8,717, while the highest ECDE teacher (Senior ECDE Teacher I (Diploma) should receive a minimum salary of Sh15,224 and a maximum of Sh19,090.
Machogu distanced himself saying ECDE is controlled by the county government.
He added that he was aware the counties were paying the nursery schools differently and therefore if they wanted a uniform figure, SRC provided it.
“I cannot be able to comment on that because it is the function of the county government,” Machogu said.
KUNOPPET chairman Lawrence Otunga Sunday said ECDE teachers will not be despised by being paid peanut promising to fight until a reasonable resolution is reached.
“We are not happy with SRC’s decision to humiliate us. Is seven thousand enough salary for a teacher? How will a teacher pay house rent and pay school fees for their children? A teacher also has their personal needs and families to take care of,” he said.
“We reject the recommendations from SRC to governors and we say that nursery teachers will not be despised and we are here to fight for the rights of every ECDE teacher.”
He said the governors should not implement the proposal citing the economic hardship.
Otunga observed that there are counties that had already started to implement the proposal.
Machogu also assured parents that no student in Junior Secondary School will learn under a tree.
The CS said that before approving schools to domicile JSS, a thorough assessment was done to ensure the facilities are enough.
“No student in this country will learn under a tree,” the CS said.
