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Home > EAST AFRICA RADIO USA > Schools re-open, but teachers on strike


	Podcast:		EAST AFRICA RADIO USA
	Episode:		Schools re-open, but teachers on strike
	Category:		Business
	Duration:		03:52:00
	Publish Date:		2011-09-04 17:00:00
	Description:		The scheduled re-opening of public schools on Monday is in jeopardy as the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is still insistent that teachers will proceed on strike starting Monday. KNUT’s National Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday to formally announce the strike. Union Secretary General David Okuta told Capital News on phone that despite the invitation for talks on Monday by the Ministry of Labour, the teachers union will not give in unless more teachers are employed. Mr Okuta termed the efforts by the Ministry of Labor as ‘half hearted efforts’ that will not kill the resolve of teachers. “We (KNUT) will attend the meeting together with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) but we do not see the government giving money through the labour ministry. Teachers start the strike tomorrow (Monday) after the notice given by KNUT expires,” said Okuta. “The strike will go on for as long as the government remains insensitive to the plight of teachers,” he added. Mr Okuta reaffirmed that there was a shortage of 79,000 teachers and that the education standards in public schools were on the downward. He said that the teachers union feels cheated that the government hived off Sh 5.5 billion from the budget, which was meant to recruit at least 28,000 teachers on permanent basis. “Public schools lack adequate teachers, and the quality of education is so low; the government cheated us that teachers will be employed and even the budget committee passed the specific recommendation. Now that the money has not been allocated we are left wondering what happening,” he wondered....Do you support the teachers strike that has been called for...?
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