The Chairperson of KUPPET, Omboko Milemba has stated that there is a joint strike notice from KUPPET and KNUT. He stated that, they will conduct their strike on 26th August 2024.
This is indeed a big blow to the new Cabinet Secretary in charge of Education. He was just sworn in last week, and one of the first assignments that is waiting for him, is the looming teachers strike that has already been planned.
All eyes are now on him, this is because, during his vetting, he stated clearly that one of his first assignments in office, will be to end the teachers strike once and for all. He is now going to face it head on as one of his first problems in office.
This means that, the teachers from both the Primary schools and the secondary schools, will participate in the strike. The saddening part is that, that is the same time that the schools will be reopening for the third term which is the final term this year.
According to Omboko Milemba. The looming teachers strike means that, schools will now not reopen for the third term.
The teachers want the government through the Ministry of Education, to honor their Collective Bargaining Agreement and also to streamline Grade line. Many people want the Grade 9 students to be transitioned to Secondary schools because the Primary schools and Junior Secondary schools do not have the capacity.
Majority of them also lack enough personnel in terms of teachers to teach the students. The JSS interns who were teaching them are also not enough. They will however smile because the government promised to absorb them into Permanent and Pensionable terms.
Consequently, term three is a very short term, if it is cut shorter with the strike, then the students and the pupils will barely get anything. The term will be wasted. Remember the second term was also infringed with the floods that rocked the country in May.
