In January this year after schools resumed after a long break that was occasioned by the corona virus, the teachers’ service commission (TSC) then posted 120 teachers in four sub-counties of Holugho, Ijara, Fafi and Liboi.
According to allocation seen by the press by records from the TSC, the four sub-counties were allocated 30 teachers each.
But speaking to the press in Garissa town after a two-day crisis meeting which brought together local leaders and educations officials, Garissa KNUT executive Abdirizack Hussein said that none of them has reported to their station.
“It is three months down the line since the teachers were posted in several schools within the sub-counties but as we are speaking today not even a single teacher reported. The reason they are giving is insecurity. Surely for how long will this issue of insecurity drag on?” remarked Hussein.
The KNUT official who was flanked by MCAs Adow Mohamed [Holugho] Abdullahi Omar [Bura] and Garissa peace secretary Hassan Osman said that currently there 118 primary and secondary schools manned by only a headteacher.
“This is a very serious scenario because most of the time the headteacher is away attending to administrative issues. Surely what learning do you think goes on in those schools? It is a very sad situation,” he said.
“Our kind request to the TSC that is led by madam Nancy Macharia is to post back all the teachers that have been posted out of areas that have never had a single incident of insecurity like Garissa township, Balambala and Lagdera sub-counties because those three areas are extremely safe,” he said.
The Fafi MCA on his part wondered how the ministry of education expected the students who will be seating for their nationals exams in KCPE and KCSE to perform well when they have not had teachers.
“We are talking about children who were at home for almost a year and when they went back there were no teachers to teach them yet they are expected to seat for the same national exam like their colleagues from other parts of the country. Surely where is fairness there?” he said.
Holugho ward rep said that the issue of teacher shortage has been talked about for far too long and asked the relevant offices to address it once and for all before students resume school in May.
“Surely isn’t it ironical that we are being told to support BBI which we are told stands for one Kenya one nation, that can only be achieved if we give each and every Kenyan equal opportunity in terms of resources and opportunities? Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening at the moment,” he said.
North-Eastern region has borne the brunt of deadly terror attacks by the Somali based Al-Shabaab terror group, the worst being the 2015 Garissa university attack that claimed 148 lives most of them students.
The militants have made it a habit of targeting non-local teachers, civil servants including police officers in an effort to paralyze government services in the region.
Also in the terror group, ‘hit list’ are the Safaricom masts aimed at cutting off communication so that wananchi have no means of volunteering information to security agencies on the militant’s whereabouts and movement.