Details are now emerging that primary school headteachers are planning to fire their Board Of Management (BOM) teachers early before schools reopen for term one in January.

BOM teachers formerly known as PTA teachers have been of great assistance in public schools where acute shortage of TSC teachers is being experienced.

However following the coming of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) where primary schools are now having two class less, the future of the teachers look bleak.

Under 8.4.4 curriculum the classes ran from Class 1 to 8. However in CBC its now only six classes i.e Grade 1 to Grade 6.

Primary headteachers are now using the excuse of reduced workload to reduce or completely cut off the number of BOM teachers in their schools.

This means many BOM teachers may not be at work in their current station when schools start first term in January 2024.

The headteachers are planning to use the available TSC teachers including the interns for teaching all the subjects from Grade 1 to 6.

The BOM teachers some only having secondary education (KCSE certificates) will now have to look for other sources of livelihoods come January next year.

Michael Kitavi, A BOM teacher in Taveta says they have a lot of challenges in discharging their duties in schools.

He says the headteachers should not even dream of dismissing them because they are the pillars of performance in schools.

“We are the donkeys in those schools. We work extra hard to ensure good performance. We are always in school to teach unlike the TSC teachers who are many times out of station. If they fire us they will know they don’t know,” said Kitavi.

Samuel Kazungu another BOM teacher in Magarini, Kilifi county says he works well for the school despite his monthly salaries not guaranteed.

“My headteacher will not pay me full salary each end month. Sometimes record show he has received enough money from parents to pay me and three others but he will still not pay. Now that schools are closed I have to look for work or my children will go hungry because I dont expect anything as salary after schools are closed,” he said.

“We teach even during Saturdays and at night. We are teaching more subjects than the TSC employed teachers but still we are not being appreciated,” he added.

Details are now emerging that primary school headteachers are planning to fire their Board Of Management (BOM) teachers early before schools reopen for term one in January.

BOM teachers formerly known as PTA teachers have been of great assistance in public schools where acute shortage of TSC teachers is being experienced.

However following the coming of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) where primary schools are now having two class less, the future of the teachers look bleak.

Under 8.4.4 curriculum the classes ran from Class 1 to 8. However in CBC its now only six classes i.e Grade 1 to Grade 6.

Primary headteachers are now using the excuse of reduced workload to reduce or completely cut off the number of BOM teachers in their schools.

This means many BOM teachers may not be at work in their current station when schools start first term in January 2024.

The headteachers are planning to use the available TSC teachers including the interns for teaching all the subjects from Grade 1 to 6.

The BOM teachers some only having secondary education (KCSE certificates) will now have to look for other sources of livelihoods come January next year.

Michael Kitavi, A BOM teacher in Taveta says they have a lot of challenges in discharging their duties in schools.

He says the headteachers should not even dream of dismissing them because they are the pillars of performance in schools.

“We are the donkeys in those schools. We work extra hard to ensure good performance. We are always in school to teach unlike the TSC teachers who are many times out of station. If they fire us they will know they don’t know,” said Kitavi.

Samuel Kazungu another BOM teacher in Magarini, Kilifi county says he works well for the school despite his monthly salaries not guaranteed.

“My headteacher will not pay me full salary each end month. Sometimes record show he has received enough money from parents to pay me and three others but he will still not pay. Now that schools are closed I have to look for work or my children will go hungry because I dont expect anything as salary after schools are closed,” he said.

“We teach even during Saturdays and at night. We are teaching more subjects than the TSC employed teachers but still we are not being appreciated,” he added.