The war between teachers and their employer over the Teachers Professional Development Programme (TDP) escalated yesterday after a new lobby group said it would petition Parliament to stop its implementation. 

The Kenyan Teachers National Pressure Group, an organisation formed to advocate for the welfare of teachers, said the educators had resolved not to honour the new programme “until and unless” they are directly involved in its development.

The group asked union officials and the chair of the National Assembly’s Education Committee Florence Mutua to resign “for doing nothing” to protect them.

“The entire teaching fraternity under TSC (Teachers Service Commission) employment are vehemently opposed to introduction of TDP program through the back door.

The teachers  were not involved in the development of the modules as earlier agreed, hence the rollout of the program in its current form should be stopped with immediate effect,” read a statement read by Martha Omollo (pictured).

Unionist MPs

The teachers also demanded the resignation of non-teacher leaders in the unions, among them Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba who is the chair of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (Kuppet), national Treasure Ronald Tanui, who is Bomet Central MP, Mutua as well as other retired teachers who are still holding positions in the unions.

Training fees

“We also demand the resignation of KNUT national officials because they do not even respect the KNUT Constitution.

Unions should be for all teachers irrespective of their cadres,” the teachers said, adding that if their demands are not met, they will write to the National Assembly to act.

TSC has rolled out training programmes for all practising teachers and has already contracted Kenyatta University, Mount Kenya University, Riara University and Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) to offer the training at the rate of Sh6,000 per year.

But teachers have said the government should bear the cost of the training and not the teachers.

The employer has, however, rejected the complaints, insisting that the refresher courses are mandatory for all teachers.