Nairobi — The government is recruiting unqualified people to work as school inspectors, a teachers' union has claimed.

Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary general Lawrence Majali said unqualified teachers and parents had been appointed inspectors.

"The Education ministry has launched a programme to recruit parents to become school inspectors," he said.

"Some teachers are also being recruited to supervise fellow teachers."

However, Education minister Sam Ongeri dismissed the claims, saying the involvement of parents in school management had been misconstrued.

Speaking in Watamu at the opening of a Sh170 million Adventist Beach Resort and Campsite, he denied that parents were being recruited, adding that the ministry had adequate inspectors.

"We are not abdicating our duties to parents. We are only encouraging them to participate more in the management of schools."

He said parents were usually involved in school management committees in primary schools while in high schools some sit on the boards and parents' associations.

Illegal

Mr Majali made the claims at St Francis Xavier Catholic Institute in Malindi at a function organised by the Coast provincial Knut caucus.

"Teachers must not allow every Tom, Dick and Harry to enter their schools and inspect them," he said.

This, he said, should only be done by professionals appointed by the government.

Transferring the work to parents was illegal and to trivialised the profession, he added.

Mr Majali reiterated Knut's stance on recruitment of interns and contract teachers at half salary and said the matter was in the courts.