Education Cabinet Secretary professor George Magoha has found himself between a rock and a hard place over his remarks on education issues.
Among the issues CS Magoha has been demonstrating ineptitude in the ministry are payment of BoM teachers and confusing communication on reopening of schools.
Florence Mutua who is the chairperson National Assembly Education Committee yesterday fingered the ministry for failing to offer reliable leadership in the light of Covid-19 pandemic.
She said,“a key ministry like that of Education that is looked upon by thousands of Kenyans should not be blowing hot and cold. We need a clear stand on issues.”
On the thorny issue of payment of salaries of BoM teachers, Ms Mutua called on the ministry to come clean and ensure these teachers are paid so as to alleviate economic pain they are going through.
“We cannot confidently say that BoM teachers are paid yet they are out there dying of depression and the ministry has the money and should work with the heads and principals to ensure their staff get paid,” she said.
Mr. Kahi Indimuli who is the Chairman of the Kenya Secondary’s Heads Associations KSSHA has confessed that the ministry is yet to send Free Secondary Education Funds and this has negatively impacted on heads of institutions. According to Indimuli, two heads have so far succumbed to stress related ailments.
“The teachers feel that money has been sent and we have refused to pay. We have lost two heads over stress-related cases because the ministry says money has been sent yet it has not been received by them,” said Mr Indimuli.
Reviewing reopening measures
Even as the ministry is under sharp criticisms, details have emerged that Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has convened another stakeholders’ meeting for September 14 to review the reopening measures.
According to the reports on The Standard, those who are expected to be in attendance include members of teachers’ unions and associations, parents’ bodies, Teachers Service Commission (TSC), religious organisations and representatives from the Ministry of Health.
This meeting comes barely two weeks after a court ruling that stopped TSC from rolling out a community-based learning programme in which teachers were expected to engage children and help them acquire practical life skills.