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Officials from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), one of EI's Kenyan affiliates, have condemned the severe teacher gap in the country, urging national authorities to remedy the understaffing.

80,000 qualified teachers’ shortage

The KNUT Kitui Branch Secretary and National executive Committee member, Joseph Makuthu, reacted to the pledge by the national Teachers' Service Commission (TSC) on 4 April, to recruit 20,000 teachers countrywide in the next three years, to ease the 80,000 teacher shortage.

“It will be useless and academic standards will continue to sink, unless the government employs quality teachers,” he said. “The country's educational standards and development levels risk lagging behind due to the lack of adequately trained teachers to provide quality education to the growing student populations in public schools.”

Though this is a good move by the new Government, the country still needs many more teachers, Makuthu stressed.

“The incoming government should consider quickly employing more teachers as part of the solution to address the growing unemployment among young trained teachers,” said Makuthu. He further lamented that Kitui county's teachers had to walk long distances to and from their work places, as schools are few and far apart.

He added that it would be unfortunate for the incoming Uhuru Kenyatta's administration to carry on the oppression of teachers perpetuated by previous successive regimes. He warned that if it were to be the case, KNUT would go on advocating for better treatment of and respect for teachers.

Teachers, not laptops, needed

Referring to the declaration by President-elect Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto to provide laptops for every primary student, KNUT Mt Elgon Branch Secretary Stephen Chemonges said this would be of no value to the Kenyan children, due to the current understaffing facing most public schools.

“Instead of providing solar-powered laptops to every primary school child, the Government should first of all employ more teachers. I seriously doubt that there are enough teachers to teach those computer lessons,” he said.

Chemonges also urged the Government to make improving education standards a priority.

EI: Government responsibility to provide quality education

“We fully support our Kenyan colleagues in their struggle to ensure quality education,” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen.

“Employing enough qualified teachers is a major factor in achieving education, and public authorities must consult teacher unions to plan and implement realistic plans on this regard.”