Kenya National Union of Teachers has condemned the recommendation by Education Minister Mutual Kilonzo that school girls should wear short skirts citing it as an abuse on female gender.
Speaking in Kapenguria during the West Pokot branch’s annual general meeting, KNUT national women representative, Dorothy Muthoni said that she had never had of a country which openly embrace promiscuous behaviors saying that the minister was misinformed on the issue saying that the union members would not accept such a move calling on him to shelve the matter.
“Whether a skirt is above the knee or below we cannot accept especially me as a woman and as a parent, our children need to be taught morals from their childhood and that is how to instill discipline on them,” said the agitated Muthoni.
On the impending September strike, the unionist laid it plain that them as a party were not going for anything short than 300% citing the recent pay increment to civil servants which left out teachers saying that it was a discrimination among the teaching fraternity as they were like other civil servants.
She narrated that the pay package was arrived on during the 1997 agreement between the then heads of the union and the government on salary increment and is gazzeted by the legal notice no. 534 of 1997 an did not see why the government should not implement it fully.
“Are not we civil servants that we cannot be given even 10% pay increment by the government like other civil servants? lets pull our socks and teach this government a lesson that it will remembered by all generations to come,” said Muthoni amid applause from over two thousand members present.
She went ahead and gave stern a warning to the government that if it hires casuals during the strike period then it should brace itself for a gruesome court battle saying they would not sit and watch as their career was being watered down.
On devolved government he called upon the government not to devolve the Teachers Service Commission but retain at the Central government level sighting the clause that says that the government will pay civil servants for three years there after they will be paid by the county governments.
“Imagine a councilor convening a meeting to discuss the teacher’s salary whereas we are the hub of the all human resource of this country? we cannot tolerate that. Let the central government deal with our pay and devolve other things they feel like.” Muthoni reiterated.
Muthoni noted that the union had given recommendations to commission for the implementation of constitution on the teachers service commission bill and ministry of education bill citing that key on their recommendation is the proposal of making the TSC to be autonomous in its undertakings and the removal of clause like a school committee can fire a teacher saying that such sediments were draconian.
“Everybody should know that this is a new Kenya under new dispensation so no one should go left right threatening us.” Said Muthoni.
She said that the CIC assured them the recommendations will be factored in during the third reading of the bills currently on the floor of the parliament.
She asked all teachers to be vigilant as the two bills were crucial to them and they should not agree them to be watered down in any instance.
She also asked them to embrace the unions motto of solidarity in all their undertakings saying that dision of any kind will weaken the union.
The branch heads led by the executive secretary Sembelo Martin and chairman Jackson Korikwangan said that they had rallied their members ready for the forthcoming strike and pledged 100% support towards it citing that the teaching profession had suffered for quite some time now and it was the time to cross river Jordan.
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