As President Kenyatta unveiled his Kshs. 53.7 billion Economic Stimulus Programme it has emerged that out of this Kshs. 6.5 billion has been allocated to the ministry of eduction to hire 10,000 more intern teachers and also 1,000 ICT experts to support in Digital Learning Programme.
This comes two days after the country recorded the highest number of Coronavirus cases and also at a time when the Ministry of health has issued a warning that August and September will be Coronavirus peak with a projected estimation of 200 cases a day.
Last week TSC CEO Nancy Macharia raised concern over Kshs. 17 billion budget deficit that she said risk scuttling the planned recruitment of teachers.
In a presentation in Parliament, TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia said only Sh3.2 billion had been approved for the recruitment of additional teachers, falling short of the commission’s Sh20 billion proposed budget.Dr Macharia said Sh2 billion would be channelled towards normal recruitment, which would cater for only 5,000 teachers. The remaining Sh1.2 billion will be used to hire 10,000 interns.
The allocation, she added, would sustain the new teachers and interns for less than one year.
“The funds are estimated to employ 5,000 new teachers for seven months, and 10,000 interns for nine months,” Macharia said.
Teachers’ unions have been calling for better remuneration of intern teachers posted to primary and secondary schools.
“We still do not understand why intern teachers are paid a paltry Sh15,000 when public servant interns earn Sh25,000,” said Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akello Misori.
Broken down, the interns’ pay includes Sh1,200 for personal accident cover, with another Sh3,000 sent to the Higher Education Loans Board and Sh800 to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). Some Sh600 is sent to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and another Sh1,741 deducted towards Pay As You Earn (Paye).