Teachers threaten to boycott marking of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

By CHARLES NGENO and KATHURE MUKURU

Marking of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations that commences tomorrow hangs in the balance after teachers threatened to boycott the exercise.

Teachers are now demanding the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) urgently responds to a raft of demands they want addressed.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers has demanded the national examiner pays the teachers on a weekly basis and that such pay should not be taxed.

The union’s national secretary in charge of secondary schools Edward Obwocha, Secretary in charge of Tertiary Sammy Chelanga and Organising Secretary Paul Maingi have accused Knec of always delaying payment for more than six months after completion of the exercise.

Delayed payment

“Teachers have volunteered to mark exams in centres that are not very hospitable yet they receive payment several months later. Part of the registration fee that is paid by the students is meant to pay these teachers and we want Knec to commit itself in writing to pay the teachers on a weekly basis,” said Obwocha.

He added that almost half of the money goes to the taxman because it is paid in lump sum. On his part, Chelanga said head teachers of examination centres should be paid centre management allowance because they ensure that administration of the exam is not interrupted.

“Besides paying the heads centre management allowance we have also petitioned Knec to pay science teachers practical allowance,” said Chelanga.

Meanwhile, Kuppet officials from Nyeri have also threatened to mobilise their members to boycott marking of the national examinations. Three top officials of the union accused Knec of perennial delays in payment of the teachers. Speaking at Kamunde Hall in Meru Town, Julius Korir (national vice chairman) said teachers have continued to suffer greatly during and after marking of the exams every year due the council’s failure to adequately provide for them.

Remove tax

Kuppet also said it opposed taxation on the commissions earned during the marking, saying the work was already grossly underpaid and it was immoral to tax “peanuts.” Korir said teachers were frustrated at “inhospitable” exam marking centres and later while waiting for delayed payments.