This archive report was first published on 6 January 2020.
Teachers across the country are demanding that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) pay their allowances before they report for training on the new curriculum.
According to several teachers who spoke to the Nation, they were compelled to sign allowance forms without knowing the amounts they would receive for upkeep.
They claimed that their head teachers sent them messages asking them to report to the training centres without considering their upkeep.
"We were not informed about travel, upkeep and accommodation allowances, yet we were expected to report to the training as early as 8am," one teacher said.
Teachers who were trained on special needs education (SNE) in various regions, including Makindu in Makueni County, Machakos County, Nairobi, Kiambu, and parts of the western region, raised similar concerns.
They wondered why the allowances are not released to head teachers so they can be distributed before training.
"We fill the forms but remain uncertain on when the allowances will be paid," said one teacher in Machakos County.
The TSC, however, termed the claims false and a misconception.
Communication Officer Catherine Lenairoshi said the allowances are paid through the teachers' bank accounts, hence the requirement for them to give their details and sign.
She added that the teachers were asked to sign the attendance sheet daily, and that the accountant uses the original attendance list to process payments in case a participant failed to sign up.
Ms Lenairoshi also stated that the teachers were informed, through country directors, that their accounts would be credited with a Sh5,000 daily allowance and a further Sh2,000 for transport to and from training centres.
According to data from the Controller of Budget (CoB), the TSC spent Sh408.4 million in 2019 to train teachers on the CBC, up from the Sh8.7 million spent in 2018.
