Governors are pushing for grants of up to Sh4.3 billion annually from the Treasury to address teacher remuneration challenges in pre-primary schools.
Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers are currently employed and remunerated under different terms of service, with some receiving a stipend instead of a salary.
Currently the highest paid ECDE teacher in a public school earns sh. 43,800 per month.
The lowest paid teacher in a public school earns sh. 7,500 monthly. The situation is pathetic in private schools where some teachers earn as low as sh. 2,000 as monthly salary.
The county chiefs say the provision of annual capital grants of Sh2,292 per learner will enable them effectively engage teachers on the terms prescribed in the scheme of service.
“There are 1,916,690 learners in ECDE centres currently, which translates to an annual grant of Sh4.39 billion,” Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga who chairs the Council of Governors’ (CoG) education committee told the Senate.
The schemes of service which was compiled by the Council of Governors (CoG), the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Education was submitted to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for evaluation and grading.
The Senate is investigating reports that most counties pay their pre-primary school teachers below the gazetted government minimum wage.
The Regulation of Wages Order 2018 prescribes the basic minimum monthly wages inclusive of housing allowance for Nairobi and other cities at Sh13,572.
Former municipalities and town councils are expected to pay ECDE teachers a minimum monthly wage of Sh12,522 and Sh7,240 for all other locations.
Data from the CoG shows 42,457 ECDE teachers have been employed by county governments, 13,502 of who are on permanent and pensionable terms, while 28,955 are on three-year contracts.
Counties recruit ECDE teachers through the County Public Service Boards (CPSB) in line with the ECDE Teachers’ Scheme of Service launched in 2018.
Budgetary constraints have however made it difficult for the devolved units to pay the teachers efficiently amid the rising cost of living in an economy reeling from Covid pandemic induced shocks.
The devolved units are grappling with a Sh2.08 billion annual budget gap for the full implementation of the scheme of service for ECDE teachers.
Currently eleven counties have agreed to implement the ECDE schemes of service after the July 2022 budget.
Nyandarua and Homabay counties are the latest counties to join others who have agreed to implement the document.
Other counties which have agreed to the document are Bomet, Embu, Kwale, Tana River, Narok, Kericho, Turkana, Kilifi and Wajir.
Governors note the proposed grant will have nine key budget lines including learning resources, teacher guides, teaching and learning aids, stationery and staff maintenance.
Below is the highlight of how ECDE teachers will be paid should the schemes of service be implemented fully.
BASIC SALARY
| New Designation | Job group as per SoS | SRC equivalent job group | Basic salary as per SRC |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher III | F | C1 | 30,441 |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher II | G | C2 | 37,561 |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher I | H | C3 | 44,040 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher III | J | C4 | 52,220 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher II | K | C5 | 61,373 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher II | L | D1 | 90,336 |
| ECDE Teacher III | H | C3 | 44,040 |
| ECDE Teacher II | J | C4 | 52,220 |
| ECDE Teacher I | K | C5 | 61,373 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher III | L | D1 | 90,336 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher II | M | D2 | 98,607 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher I | N | D3 | 114,674 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher III | K | C5 | 61,373 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher II | L | D1 | 90,336 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher I | M | D2 | 98,607 |
| Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher II | N | D3 | 114,674 |
| Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher I (Assistant Director) | P | D4 | 135,243 |
| Senior Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher (Deputy Director) | Q | D5 | 144,760 |
| Chief Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher (Director) | R | E1 | 175,261 |
HOUSE ALLOWANCE
| New Designation | Job group as per SoS | SRC equivalent job group | House allowance |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher III | F | C1 | 4,500 |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher II | G | C2 | 6,750 |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher I | H | C3 | 6,750 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher III | J | C4 | 10,000 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher II | K | C5 | 16,500 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher II | L | D1 | 28,000 |
| ECDE Teacher III | H | C3 | 6,750 |
| ECDE Teacher II | J | C4 | 10,000 |
| ECDE Teacher I | K | C5 | 16,500 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher III | L | D1 | 28,000 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher II | M | D2 | 28,000 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher I | N | D3 | 35,000 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher III | K | C5 | 16,500 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher II | L | D1 | 28,000 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher I | M | D2 | 28,000 |
| Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher II | N | D3 | 35,000 |
| Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher I (Assistant Director) | P | D4 | 45,000 |
| Senior Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher (Deputy Director) | Q | D5 | 45,000 |
| Chief Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher (Director) | R | E1 | 50,000 |
COMMUTER ALLOWANCE
| New Designation | Job group as per SoS | SRC equivalent job group | Commuter allowance |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher III | F | C1 | 3,000 |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher II | G | C2 | 4,000 |
| Assistant ECDE Teacher I | H | C3 | 4,000 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher III | J | C4 | 4,000 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher II | K | C5 | 5,000 |
| Senior Assistant ECDE Teacher II | L | D1 | 6,000 |
| ECDE Teacher III | H | C3 | 4,000 |
| ECDE Teacher II | J | C4 | 4,000 |
| ECDE Teacher I | K | C5 | 5,000 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher III | L | D1 | 6,000 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher II | M | D2 | 8,000 |
| Senior ECDE Teacher I | N | D3 | 8,000 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher III | K | C5 | 5,000 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher II | L | D1 | 6,000 |
| Graduate ECDE Teacher I | M | D2 | 8,000 |
| Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher II | N | D3 | 8,000 |
| Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher I (Assistant Director) | P | D4 | 12,000 |
| Senior Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher (Deputy Director) | Q | D5 | 14,000 |
| Chief Principal Graduate ECDE Teacher (Director) | R | E1 | 16,000 |
This month two counties i.e. Nakuru and Mandera have advertised for employment of ECDE teachers. Nakuru county government has advertised 300 slots while Mandera has advertised 150 slots.
LIST OF TOP TEN BEST PAYING AND POORLY PAYING COUNTIES FOR ECDE TEACHERS
TOP TEN BEST PAYING COUNTIES FOR ECDE TEACHERS
1. Kilifi county 24,000 (Certificate) 35,000 (Diploma)
2. Tana River county 24,000 (Certificate) 32,000 (Diploma)
3. Embu county 33,000 (Certificate) 37,000 (Diploma)
4. Turkana county 31,662 (Certificate) 34,662 (Diploma)
5. Kajiado county 25,000 (Certificate) 35,000 (Diploma)
6. Garissa county 35,000 (Certificate) 42,300 (Diploma)
7. Kwale county 25,000 (Certificate) 32,000 (Diploma)
8. Kiambu county 25,000 (Certificate) 28,000 (Diploma)
9. Kisumu county 31,880 (Certificate) 34,900 (Diploma)
10. Bungoma county 25,000 (Certificate) 32,000 (Diploma)
TOP TEN POORLY PAYING COUNTIES FOR ECDE TEACHERS
1. Kericho county 8,000 (Flat rate for Certificate and Diploma)
2. Baringo county 10,000 (Certificate) 11,000 (Diploma) 12,000 (Degree)
3. Nyandarua county 10,000 (Flat rate for Certificate, Diploma and Degree)
4. Nyeri county 12,650 (Flat rate for Certificate, Diploma and Degree)
5. Makueni county 12,000 (Certificate) 14,000 (Diploma)
6. Narok county 12,000 (Certificate) 14,000 (Diploma) 16,000 (Degree)
7. Nandi county 10,000 (Certificate) 12,000 (Diploma) 15,000 (Degree)
8. Kitui county 9,000 (Certificate)12,000 (Diploma)
9. Laikipia county 10,000 (Flat rate for Certificate, Diploma and Degree)
10. Uasin Gishu county 10,000 (Flat rate for Certificate, Diploma and Degree)