KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion, Kisii County CEC Education Amos Andama and Chief Officer Education Geoffrey Mogire consult during KNUT Annual general meeting held at Kisii School on 8/8/2018. Sossion maintained that the teachers strike is still on course. (Sammy Omingo/ Standard)

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Willson Sossion says the teaching fraternity is prepared for the stalemate over the looming strike set for September 1, 2018.

“The strike is real and it is going to be a real emancipation of teachers in the country. Nobody should be left behind and nobody should try to derail our resolve,” Sosion said.

While addressing Kisii Central Branch teachers, Sossion warned that teachers will be forced to down their tools immediately should talks between the Union and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) fail to yield results.

KNUT and TSC will meet on August 21, 2018 to addressed issues raised by the union which include de-localization of teachers, promotions, salary harmonization, teacher performance appraisal systems among others.

According to Sossion, TSC has not forgiven teachers since 2015 when they held a five week strike.

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“Teachers have right to policy formulation. It is shocking that TSC has issued 82 circulars since 2015. Teaching is about character transformation. Education can't be reduced into a simple measurement. The Government is busy issuing circulars with an objective of wanting to kill unions,” said Sossion.

The Secretary- General further wondered why TSC has remained adamant on its implementation of the infamous Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) adding that somebody must explain why teachers are being forced to meet costs that are budgeted for in TSC.

“TPAD is a big issue globally which can’t work and it is not a good system of appraising teachers. It is de-professionalising teaching. There are threats by the employer to turn KNUT into a merry go round,” Mr Sossion said.

KNUT further added that since 2015 there have been a steady declined performance in all schools due to poor policy implementation system.

“TSC has removed schemes of services yet codes of regulation recognizes schemes of work. You cannot withdraw a benefit that a worker enjoys. All teachers must be recognized and promoted from their day of graduation and we will not beg for such,” he explained.