CS pledges policy reforms to harmonize hardship allowances for teachers
ARNOLD LINGA MASILA-KNA
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos has announced that the government is working on policies to harmonize disparities in hardship allowances for teachers in regions facing tough working conditions, including Taita Taveta, Mombasa, Kwale, Tharaka Nithi, and Makueni counties.
Speaking during the launch of 16 NG-CDF funded classrooms, which were constructed under the patronage of the area MP at Mbauro and Mghambonyi Comprehensive Schools in Wundanyi Constituency, Taita Taveta County, Migos assured stakeholders that the government is committed to addressing disparities in the recognition of hardship areas.
“We have already made the policies, and we have listed the areas that need to be harmonized so that your neighbor is not declared a hardship area while you, living in the same region, are not considered for hardship allowances. As we speak, that proposal is being handled,” he stated.
He further noted that the ministry will fasttrack the process and employ affirmative action in regions where challenges are most pronounced. “We have agreed to isolate those areas so that we can fast-track and implement affirmative action to address these issues,” said the CS.
Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako echoed the CS’s remarks, emphasizing the dire conditions teachers in Taita Taveta County endure. He called on the government to prioritise the region and ensure teachers receive hardship allowances as a motivation to continue delivering quality education.
“Teachers in Taita Taveta operate under tough conditions. The government should consider providing hardship allowances to motivate and retain teachers in this region,” he added.
He cited the challenging geographical terrain and economic hardships in the county, adding that many teachers often work in remote schools with minimal resources.
Education stakeholders in Taita Taveta county also urged the government to expedite the process, highlighting that such an initiative would improve teacher morale and overall education standards in the county.
The CS assured teachers across the country that the ministry is keen to ensure a fair and equal treatment while discharging their duties. Equally, Migos noted that the ministry is keen to ensure students across the country get fair education, by ensuring that the construction of classrooms for Junior Secondary School (JSS) is completed on time to allow students a place to study from.
He said that the government embarked on constructing JSS classrooms in October and has already completed 14,500 classes in almost three months, a move which he said has never been done before.
“Following the assessment that we did, we will have constructed 16,000 classrooms by the end of February, so that all grade 9 students will have a classroom,” said the CS.
He added that the ministry agreed with headteachers to ensure that all the students are in school and attend the lessons even as the government is racing against time to ensure that classes are constructed on time.
He further noted that the government has employed over 76,000 teachers to handle the transition. The Cabinet Secretary disclosed that the government has provided 9.9 million textbooks, ensuring that each and every child has a book at a ratio of 1:1 in every subject.
“The burden has been removed from the parents and now they are not being asked for money to buy text-books because it is our responsibility as a government to do all that it takes to provide free, basic education to our children as provided for in the constitution,” he said.