There was a low turnout when Teachers Service Commission was recruiting teachers under the internship contract. This was partially due to many misleading information that immerged surrounding the nature of the contract.
Be ready to work anywhere in the country is something very few teachers can agree to sign to. This is prompted by problems facing teachers working in marginalized areas like Northeastern region.
Most teachers were unmoved by what their employer offered and opt to remain in Board of Management terms. Majority of secondary schools pay the BOM teachers a salary within a range of Ksh. 15,000 to Ksh. 20,000 per month. On the other hand intern teachers in secondary schools earn a uniform salary of Ksh. 14,000 every month.
It was logic then to turn down the job. Most were reluctant to take a ‘paycut’ and take up the jobs. Majority of those who took this internship jobs are those who were below what TSC offered them.
In the longrun the internship program is proving to be a good deal. This group continue to enjoy salary alongside those in permanent and pensionable jobs. But their counterparts in BOM are still languishing in poverty after endless months without pay.
It is further becoming evident that teachers in this program both in primary and secondary schools may benefit big when schools open in January 2021.
As a result of covid 19 pandemic, the ministry of health has given rules and regulations towards the opening of schools January next year 2021.
Social distancing Will be mandetory in all schools to keep the pandemic from spreading.This will result to students and pupils divided into several classes as previously one class used to have up to the capacity of 50 students.
Even if the pandemic has brought the education sector standstill, teachers are retiring and no replacement has been done so far. Schools will have inadequate staff to control the extra classes.
The ministry of of education will consider employing more teachers to enable learning go on smoothly. Those teachers working currently under internship programme are now likely to be absorbed by the government January 2021 thus benefitting from the Covid 19 pandemic.
