Jonathan Manyindo
14 July 2008
Nairobi — The Government will harmonise teachers' salaries to compensate for hardship allowances paid to other civil servants, Education assistant minister Mr Calist Mwatela has said.
The Mwatate MP said there was discrimination in the payment of allowances and this demoralised teachers, negatively affecting their performance.
"Teachers' salaries must be improved and harmonised with those of their counterparts in the Civil Service since they do equally important work," he said.
Speaking at Dawson Mwanyumba stadium at a district prize-giving ceremony, Mr Mwatela urged teachers to sign performance contracts as requested by the Government.
He assured teachers that the contracts were not aimed at retiring them before the mandatory retirement age of 55.
"I was a teacher myself and worked for more than 20 years when the performance contract did not exist, but we used to set targets to be evaluated at the end of the year," he said.
The targets, he said, were meant to gauge performance and the only difference was that this was done verbally, unlike the current system where the contract must be in writing.
At the same ceremony, Voi MP Mr Danson Mwazo Mwakulegwa blamed parents for poor academic performance and indiscipline in schools.
He said a majority of cases of indiscipline experienced in Taita District could be attributed to parents.
Meanwhile, at least 167 teachers in the new Kipkelion District who were displaced during the post-election violence are yet to report back.
Kericho Kenya National Union of Teachers branch executive officer Stanley Mutai said 97 of those affected were primary school teachers.
Mr Mutai appealed to the teachers to return to their stations now that peace and order had been restored.
He urged the Government to provide transport for those who were willing to go back.
Additional report by Sollo Kiragu
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