This archive report was first published on 19 November 2021.
Peter Ngare: TSC's Authoritarian Era Has Come to an End ¶
As a former student of Moi University, where I earned a degree in Kiswahili and History, I have always been passionate about education and the welfare of teachers. However, my experience during my practicum at Nambale Boys High School in Busia County and Ossen Secondary School in Baringo County made me realize that the working conditions for teachers were not conducive to effective teaching and learning.
It was not that I didn't want to teach, but I felt that the environment for teachers was not favorable. I decided to pursue a career in journalism, which I believed would give me the freedom to express myself and advocate for the rights of the common man against the oppression of those in power.
The recent events at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) under the leadership of Nancy Macharia have made me proud that I made the right decision. The TSC has been pushing teachers to the edge by intimidating and punishing them for speaking out against its decisions.
First, it was the crackdown on the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT). Then, it was the implementation of policies that teachers were forced to comply with without questioning. And most recently, it was the punishment of leaders of the Teachers Pressure Group (TPG) for requesting a re-evaluation of the health insurance scheme provided by Aon Minet, which they claimed was inadequate.
Any manager who cares about their employees would have taken a more constructive approach by engaging with them and finding solutions together. Instead, the TSC has chosen to use intimidation and punishment, which is a clear indication that the era of dictatorship is over.
Democracy, freedom, and transparency are not limited to the political sphere, but also apply to public institutions and even private organizations. The respect for the rights of employees is a fundamental principle that should be upheld by any manager, and the TSC's attempt to undermine this principle is a step backward.
The era of dictatorship in the TSC has come to an end, and it's time for the institution to acknowledge this and move forward. The next generation of leaders should prioritize the welfare of teachers and the education sector as a whole.
