All Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers in Uasin Gishu will be under the supervision of head teachers of primary schools in which the institutions have been established, Governor Jackson Mandago has directed.
Mandago said the ECDE teachers employed by the county government have the obligation to co-operate with the head teachers in a bid to harmonise smooth running of the learning institutions that are hugely dependent on one another.
“We have gotten reports from parents and other education stakeholders that some lazy ECDE teachers have been defying instructions from school heads and arrogantly responding when probed about their commitment to ensure imparting of quality education. We will not tolerate this and those who cannot co-operate will be shown the door," the governor said.
The governor was categorical that proper systems and structures needed to be put in place to ensure quality dispensation of education, adding that lack of co-operation between the basic education sectors would negatively affect the transition of pupils from one stage to another.
“We do not want to develop a parallel system of managing the basic education sector, the ECDE section cannot be disconnected from the primary school section because it will affect transition. Harmonisation of the two sections is vital in developing holistically trained pupils,” he added.
Mandago cited high absenteeism rates by some of the teachers in the section as the cause for diminishing ECDE standards, stating that his leadership would not sit aside and watch the important entry point of learning get compromised in terms of quality by a few truant individuals.
The county chief declared the directive when he issued cheques worth Sh54 million an amount which will be used to construct new ECDE centres and upgrade the existing ones in all the 30 wards in Uasin Gishu.
“The ECDE teachers need to show gratitude that their employment terms have been improved since the ECDE sector was devolved to the counties which are paying them well. They are getting hat least Sh10,000 per month as compared to the Sh2000 that the Parents Teachers' Associations used to pay them," Mandago said.
He cautioned the ECDE teachers that were defying instructions from their respective head teachers claiming to be under the county governments and not the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) that they will be shown the door.