Hundreds of Wajir residents and students on Thursday took to the streets protesting against the worsening situation in the education sector in the region.
The parents, students and education stakeholders were protesting following the decision by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to transfer non-local teachers from Wajir County.
More than 200 primary schools and 42 secondary schools are staring at closure due to lack of teachers.
The demonstrators met at Wajir Qorahey grounds before marching to the county commissioner’s office and TSC offices to present their grievances.
The chairman of BOM chairpersons association, Mr. Abdi Billow, condemned the move by TSC, terming it ill-advised and discriminatory.
Mr. Billow said that TSC in its decision failed to consider the plight of hundreds of learners in the area adding that transferring non-local teachers is punishing innocent schoolchildren.
“The BOM association was not consulted by TSC before the move, yet some of them were signatories in the employment of the teachers. The teachers’ commission acted without caring about the welfare of the children in the county,” said Mr. Billow.
Wajir County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara, however, said that security in the area has been enhanced and its safe for the teachers to return.
“The government is working to ensure learning is restored in the county. We appeal to TSC to return the teachers since security has been enhanced,” said Mr. Kibaara.
TSC has transferred non -local teachers from the region following an attack on February 16 at Qarsa Primary School.
The attack left three non-local teachers dead and since then non-local teachers working in the region have been demanding to be transferred to safer areas.
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