25 July 2007
Nairobi — Some see the policy shift to employ teachers on contract and allow them to teach in two different schools as the best way to alleviate staff shortages and improve performance, others don't.
The decision by the Government to review terms of employment for teachers has turned the spotlight on teaching, raising the perennial question of whether teachers are equitably and justifiably earning their salary.
The Government wants secondary school principals to sign performance contracts to enhance efficiency and to make them more accountable.
New primary and secondary school teachers may also be employed on three-year term contracts, but the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and other players think otherwise.
Quality of teaching influences achievement
There is growing concern about the rising number of children who leave school without having attained literacy skills at primary level.
Others who make a satisfactory start in primary school lag in secondary and eventually drop out of school altogether.
More than ever before, authorities are aware that the quality of teaching influences pupil achievement more than any other school-based factor, and now they want the school system to help low achievers.
But like elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, teachers are in short supply in Kenya, especially for mathematics and science subjects.
Currently public post primary institutions have a shortfall of about 13,000 teachers, whom the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is pressing to employ on contract. "Employing teachers on contract," says a TSC official, "would reduce trade union politics in schools and enhance performance."
Flexibility to rationalise number of teachers
He says TSC would also have powers to terminate or not renew contracts of low performing teachers without fear of industrial action.
The system would also provide TSC with the flexibility to constantly rationalise the number of teachers required without overstaffing some subjects.
"There are many teachers on the payroll who were employed to teach subjects that are no longer in the curriculum, or just offered in few schools," he says.
For instance, teachers who were initially trained to teach accountancy, typewriting, economics and social education and ethics in secondary schools, are now teaching subjects they did not study at university or college.
"It is bad for the TSC, which cannot terminate their services before they attain the retirement age of 55 years," says the official.
It is envisaged that employing teachers on contract would increase efficient use of human capital.
"To earn their positions in school, teachers would be more committed to their jobs and instruction time would go up," says the official.
Suggested policy shift has a price
Currently, secondary school teachers in Kenya teach an average of 486 hours annually, which the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (Unesco) says is the world's lowest.
"Although the intended instruction time might be high, the actual hours of instruction are very low in Kenya," it says.
To improve performance, the Ministry of Education has announced that from next year, secondary school teachers will be required to teach an average of 30 lessons each week, up from 27.
However, the average teaching hours will still be below the global average of 40.
But the suggested policy shift has a price. Some teachers will be required to teach in two schools to increase their workload.
Whereas the idea of having a cadre of itinerant teachers is seen as a short-term solution to the problem, experts want a permanent solution.
'Contracts will make teachers more effective'
They want the Government to phase out single-stream day schools to enable many students to share human and capital resources efficiently.
The Western Provincial Deputy Director of Education, Mr Isako Konchora, believes the policy will be effective, as it has worked elsewhere.
"In some countries teachers are contracted to teach in several schools and are only paid for the hours they have taught," he says.
This, he says, will take away pressure on teachers with heavy workloads.
"Teachers who teach optional subjects handle as few as 10 students and take less than 10 lessons a week. This is a waste of both manpower and resources, which can otherwise be put to better use," he says.
Maseno University Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, Prof Dominic Makawiti, says that contracts will make teachers more effective.
"Contracts will definitely increase productivity. Those of non-performing teachers should not be renewed, " he says.
Government in the process of recruiting teachers
But Knut thinks otherwise.
"It is a trick by the Government to renege on the promise to hire more teachers on permanent basis," says the union's Secretary General, Mr Francis Ng'ang'a.
The Government is in the process of recruiting 11,000 teachers, about 7,000 of whom will replace those who have left the service through natural attrition.
Only 2,300 secondary teachers will be recruited. Knut Wajir Branch secretary, Mr Mahat Dore, accuses the Government of playing to the whims of World Bank.
"The union fought for permanent jobs in the 1970s and will not accept the new plan," he says.
The immediate former Chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Association, Mr Peterson Muthathai, is equally sceptical.
"Having teachers on contract was unsuccessful when we had 'A' levels. We must learn from history and avoid costly mistakes," he says.
Need for a pool of revolving teachers
Muthathai says the move would encourage irresponsible behaviour among teachers since they will not be accountable to one headmaster.
He says a lot of time would be wasted on commuting from one school to another. He believes a better option would be for the Government to have a pool of revolving teachers who were permanently employed and were pensionable.
The Vihiga Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Executive Secretary, Mr Ashilaka Olaka, says the logistics involved make the idea untenable.
On the other hand unemployed teachers and those working in private schools think this is a novel idea.
Mr Hussein Amey Abdi, an unemployed teacher in Garissa District, thinks the move would jolt teachers from slumber. "Incompetent teachers should give way to those who are ready to work," he says.
Teachers work under different conditions
But Knut Mombasa branch executive secretary, Mr Ahaya Juma Ahaya, says it would be unfair to base the contracts on performance because teachers work under different conditions.
"Some teach under trees while others work in well-equipped institutions. How do you judge them using the same standard?" he asks.
He says teaching in several schools cannot work.
"Who will foot the teachers travel expenses?" he asks.
Mr Samuel Mbugua, a graduate of mathematics and economics from the University of Nairobi, who joined the teaching profession 11 years ago, has mixed feelings. He started off as an untrained teacher at Senior Chief Koinange Secondary School.
Two years later he was called for an interview by the TSC. The commission decided not to recruit two months after the exercise.
Four years ago he completed a postgraduate diploma in teaching at Kenyatta University.
Exploited by private schools
"Those who got their first degree after me have been employed by TSC. The commission considers me a 2003 graduate," he says.
Mbugua says he would not hesitate to leave his job at the private school that he teaches to join TSC.
"I would not, however, work on a short-term contract with the commission," he says.
But Peter Kuria, a teacher at a private school, hopes the new teacher management plan would improve the lot of teachers.
"Something must be done. We are being exploited by private school which pay us as little as Sh3,500," he says.
So far, there are almost no options to increasing access to secondary education outside the scope of management of teachers and efficient expansion of physical facilities.
- Wachira Kigotho, Marion Wambugu, Lynesther Mureu, Geoffrey Anyira, Boniface Ongeri, Boniface Gikandi, Job Weru, Harold Ayodo and Mathias Ringa
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