Governors want TSC to punish teachers for skipping classes to attend burials

Participants during last week's three day Kisii and Nyamira counties education conference. Speakers urged a task-force formed to look into challenges affecting education in the region to ignore political and clan interferences. [PHOTO: STANDARD]

KISII COUNTY: Leaders from Kisii region want the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to crack the whip on teachers who abscond duty in the name of mourning the dead.

They made the demand at an education conference held at Kisii University. The conference brought together education stakeholders to discuss factors affecting academic standards in the region.

It emerged that teachers spend less time in classrooms every week. The conference was told that the teacher-pupil contact hours are limited to at least two days a week.

A month ago, Nyamira Governor John Nyagarama raised concerns during an Education Day and noted that the "culture" of conducting burials on Fridays has negatively affected education standards in the region.

Attending burials on Fridays has become quite common in the region, meaning that most teachers abscond duty in the pretext of attending the burials at the expense of learning.

"As a community, we have become professional mourners. We spend at least three burying the dead, to the disadvantage of learners. In other countries like the United States, a dead person is valueless and should be disposed of cheaply," said Kisii University Vice Chancellor John Akama.

RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

He added: "There is no need for long motorcades from the morgue; unfortunately this happens here in the presence of professionals including myself. We must give more time to the learners."

Director of Secondary Education Robert Masese faulted religious bodies for organising burials on Friday, saying the trend   is affecting education.

He challenged Christians to spend their days of worship praying for bereaved families.

"If one worships on Saturday, I do not see anything wrong with attending a burial ceremony the same day so as to pray for the bereaved family in their time of sorrow. Catholics and other faithful who worship on Sunday can do the same," said Mr Masese.

Kisii Governor James Ongwae said the region's leadership will not continue to condone the practice, which is negatively affecting education standards.

"I have also attended burials on Fridays and some of the venues used for the ceremonies include schools playgrounds. That means on that day, no learning goes on. For how long will we tolerate this habit?" he asked.