This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
As the third and final term of the year begins, schools across the country are gearing up for the national examinations, with over 1.8 million candidates set to sit for their exams.
However, the term is not without its challenges, as the teaching fraternity is embroiled in intense anxiety due to leadership wrangling at the Kenya National Union of Teachers and controversy over the implementation of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) had introduced career development guidelines and teacher professional development programmes, but court orders suspended these, leading to the preparation of two separate payrolls - one for the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers and the other for Knut members.
This has created animosity between teachers and their employer, just as Standard Eight pupils are preparing to sit for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education from October 28, while their Form Four counterparts are gearing up to begin their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams on November 4.
Despite the challenges, a majority of teachers are being trained on the Competency-Based Curriculum, which is already on a roll.
Given the sensitivity of the third term, which is the shortest but most critical due to the exams, it calls for sobriety, calmness, and dedication among the teachers who are the primary drivers of the tests.
As the government invests billions in ensuring the examinations are prepared and administered judiciously, it is crucial that the primary executors of these national activities are at peace.
The TSC should quickly call for talks with the teachers' unions and sort out the payroll dispute urgently to avoid any further disruptions.
