A lobby group in Nyanza has criticised a move by Kisumu Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Director Patrick Nyagosia to levy secondary principals for a capacity building training.
Track One Learners Alliance Protection said the move by TSC to call for the payment of Sh1,500 per subject teacher will alter the budget of schools.
Speaking to the press in Kisumu on Tuesday, the Alliance's Director, Innocent Masara said the move to capacity build subject teachers is a good idea but levying schools to sponsor the training is not in good faith.
“Approximately seven teachers per school will be sent for this training, where will principals get this money when they had budgeted for the school,” he asked.
Nyagosia had dispatched letters to all secondary school principals that National Educational Consultants in conjunction with TSC has organised a one day workshop for teachers on emerging issues in KCSE examination at Kisumu Girls High School.
The letter signed by Nyagosia said the training that only targets teachers teaching English, Chemistry, Geography, History, Biology and Mathematics was meant to prepare teachers adequately on the subjects.
He said each participant was to pay Sh1,500 as workshop fess for facilitation, stationery, certificate and meals.
“The workshop is meant to enhance the standard of learning in Secondary Schools in the County.
Principals are encouraged to send the subject teachers’ to this important workshop,” read part of the letter.
Masara said the fee was too much and calculated that a total of slightly over Sh. 3 million was to be collected from the teachers.
“I totally disagreed with the arrangement, that is a lot of money that could be used by the schools to improve of educational facilities within their schools,” he said.
He called upon Education Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i to discourage such levies noting that Principals will eventually transfer the same to parents who are overburdened by school fees.
Contacted, Nyagosia said his office was just facilitating the process noting that the consultant was sent from the headquarters in Nairobi.
He said that the training is exceptional and no school is forced to send the subject teachers.
“It is not mandatory, any school that sees value in the training is at liberty to send in teachers for the training. The team that is going to offer the training has been sent from Nairobi, they are not masqueraders,” said Nyagosia in a telephone interview.
However, in the letter, it was not indicated that the training is exceptional.