Nairobi — The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is now asking all trained teachers who are unemployed to apply for jobs to replace striking teachers who have ignored a directive to resume work.The TSC Chief Executive Officer Gabriel Lengoiboni told Capital FM News on Tuesday that all those interested to take up the jobs should urgently register at the county level.
Tutors have stayed away from most schools as the strike called by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) entered its fourth week, despite a government order to resume duty on Tuesday, July 15.
"We do not want to victimize teachers, but we are getting up to date information from our county directors of schools that are running, heads of schools, deputies and senior teachers. We shall see how to discipline those who are on strike," he cautioned.
Lengoiboni stated that teachers to be considered for the jobs must be Kenyan citizens of up to 45 years and should have a minimum of a P1 certificate to teach in primary schools.
"The directive yesterday (Monday) was that if you do not want to obey instructions and directions from the government, then they should be considered as having sacked themselves from the employment of the TSC. That still stands," he explained.
"When they are on strike, they will definitely come up on a defensive move but nonetheless, we will take disciplinary action on teachers who have defied that directive."
He also pointed out that teachers who are qualified but are not registered under TSC will be shown how to do so at the county level.
"I will still request teachers to report as they were directed yesterday and those who have reported to actually teach as required and disciplinary action will definitely be taken against those who will not have obeyed this directive," he said.
He outlined that the teachers seeking employment should have a diploma in Teacher Education and at least two teaching subjects relevant to the curriculum for post primary teachers.
He urged KNUT to soften their rigid stance in a bid to allow for structured negotiations to take place.
"I am requesting KNUT to soften their hard stance and come back to the negotiating table. We are still willing to talk to them and the offer that the government has given is actually generous given that the money was not budgeted for in this financial year," he said.
"It is actually unfair for them to hold children at ransom when they are supposed to be in school learning. That is infringing on their rights," he pointed out.
KNUT earlier scoffed at the return-to-work order by Education Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi and has dared the government to live up to its sack threat.
The union's Second Vice National Chairman Wycliffe Omucheyi told Capital FM News on Tuesday morning that teachers will not resume work, insisting that they went on strike for a purpose which has not been fulfilled.
Omucheyi laughed off Kaimenyi's threats of disciplinary action, saying such threats in the past were "just hot air."
The government on Monday ordered teachers to resume their duties or face the sack.
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