An ECDE teacher in a learning session with children [PHOTO/wvi.org]
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has issued a warning to the Teachers Service Commission against sacking of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers who are already employed by the service.
According to Knut Secretary-general Wilson Sossion, the service should instead regularise employment of these tutors.
This comes after TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia cautioned both private and public schools against employing teachers who have not been registered.
“Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers engaged in the service, whether in public or private educational institutions, without certificate of registration must immediately register with TSC,” she said.
However, Sossion says it is the obligation of the employer (TSC) to expedite registration of teachers already employed by county governments in accordance with High Court ruling last year.
Through a phone interview, Sossion told Nation that these teachers must be registered by TSC, whether trained or untrained.
“Those untrained must be involved in capacity building to boost the number of ECDE staff,” he said.
“When we went to court, the teachers had already been employed by respective county governments and we only needed TSC to regularise such employments and this must be done without any conditions,” he added.
The country has over 110,000 ECDE teachers currently employed by county governments, religious organisations, NGOs and private entities.