Teachers under Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employment are awaiting with abated breath for their June salaries as schools near for midterm break.
Primary and secondary schools will from next week start their half term break and many teachers are looking forward for the payday so they can happily rejoin their families during that time.
During the month of June teachers receive their salaries early, being the month when the government financial year ends and a new one ushered through reading of a national budget.
Many teachers are expecting to get paid this week. However details show that this June will be different from the rest.
Sources reveal that TSC payroll is still open and running indicating that teachers will have to wait longer for processing of their salaries.
Just last week Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, revealed that the state is still economically unstable and that they have to collect enough money through Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) before paying government employees and meeting other obligations.
The delay in teachers salaries might be attributed to the state of government coffers. This means teachers should expect salaries on similar dates with other months.
In this budget TSC has been allocated a larger share in the Education docket budget by the Kenya Kwanza government.
According to the 2023-24 Budget, TSC has been allocated Sh316.7 billion, half of Sh 628.6 billion which is the full amount allocated towards the education sector.
TSC has also been allocated 4.8 billion for the recruitment of 20,000 intern teachers.
Last year, TSC received Sh2.5 billion for the recruitment of teachers.
TSC CEO Nancy Macharia said the commission requires Sh2.2 billion to carry out the promotion of teachers in different job cadres.
However, the government has allocated 1.1 billion towards the promotion of teachers.
She added that the commission requires Sh2.1 billion to fund teacher professional development.
In submissions to National Assembly’s Committee on Education and Research, Macharia said recruitment will ensure objectives outlined in the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda are achieved.
“These teachers are expected to reduce the shortage in our public schools but more importantly, ensure that learners receive quality education,” Macharia said.
She said recruitment of interns alone will have a number of spiral effects.
“One, it will create employment for the many young people who are currently unemployed. Secondly, improve the quality of education and also improve the living standards of many households across the country,” she said.