Teachers say Sh9.8 billion budget allocation is ‘provocation’

NAIROBI, KENYA: Teachers have reacted angrily after the government allocated just Sh9.8 billion for allowances as well as recruitment and promotion of teachers in the 2014/15 budget.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) said the allocation was a provocation to teachers  while the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) said teachers had been let down by what it termed a drop in the ocean.

In the budget unveiled on Thursday, Sh2.3 billion went to recruitment of 5,000 additional teachers, Sh5.5 billion for commuter allowance Phase II and Sh2 billion for promotion of teachers.

Both Knut and Kuppet said there was a shortfall of Sh400 million in the commuter allowance and said they are not ready to negotiate full allocation for the earlier agreed Sh5.9 billion.

Regarding promotion, Knut chairman, Mudzo Nzili, said teachers expected Sh6.6 billion, noting that the Sh2 billion allocated will pose a serious challenge to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on how to conduct the exercise, hence the need to avail the amount in full.

“We don’t want teachers to be provoked,” he said, adding that the government should have also allocated funds for the recruitment of at least 10, 000 more teachers.

Kuppet Chairman Omboko Milemba said his union expected the government to recruit up to 40, 000 more teachers. “This is a major setback in our bid to attain quality education standards, considering we have a shortfall of about 100, 000 teachers,” he stated.

Milemba further decried failure to allocate funds for leave and responsibility allowance.

He said teachers expected to be offered Sh9 billion in leave allowance and insisted there was as open discrimination since they are the only public servants without this benefit in the country.

“Also omitted in the budget was a responsibility allowance for teachers in Job Groups L and above,” said Milemba. “In our last CBA, they were to be considered for the allowance.

The expectations of teachers were so high but we feel we have been let down”.

Misplaced priorities

Janet Muthoni-Ouko, the Elimu Yetu Coalition National Coordinator accused the government of having misplaced priorities, saying hiring of more teachers should have topped the agenda.

“The government seems to be merely responding to political pressure from unions.  Let us look at the challenges in the sector and deal with them from a priority point of view,” she said.

Ouko particularly took issue with the allocation of Sh17 billion for laptops and only Sh13.5 billion for Free Primary Education (FPE).

“This shows you there is a big problem. A 33 per cent increment to the FPE allocation adds just Sh500 to the Sh1, 020 per pupil allocated back in 2003,” she stated.

“A Sh500 increment in a decade is a joke, as this is amount enough to buy just one book. We won’t have quality free primary education until we allocate at least Sh3,000 per learner”.