TSC intern teachers are crying all the way from the banks after their employer through KRA deducted them, without mercy, housing fund with July arrears.
This is the second time the intern teachers are facing new deductions without any pay increase.
In July their salaries were slashed sh. 360 which was channeled towards NSSF. In this month of August 1.5% of their total stipend has been deducted and channeled towards the housing fund.
Primary intern teachers are paid sh 15,000 monthly but usually receive around sh 14,000 after deductions.
Those in junior secondary get sh 20,000 monthly stipend but usually receive around 18,000 after deductions.
In August pay the primary intern teachers have received sh 12,570 while those in junior secondary sh 17,570 way below what they are used to earn.
This latest move may discourage more teachers from taking part in internship in future especially due to the meager pay which is not in line with the current inflation and cost of living.
Many teachers have been shying away from internship due to the low pay. Majority have chosen to work in BOM terms especially in schools which pay them better and take care of their welfare.
While their colleagues on permanent terms secured a pay deal, intern teachers missed out as their salaries were not reviewed.
TSC has already started to post to schools the recently recruited 20,000 teacher interns.
18,000 intern teachers will be posted to junior secondary schools while the remaining 2,000 will be deployed to primary schools to support the implementation of the new curricula.
Teacher unions, Knut, Kuppet and Kusnet failed to protect the interns from more deductions. The also failed to have their stipend reviewed.
However during negotiations Kuppet had a feeble attempt to have the intern teachers monthly pay raised.