“I Would Never Dream of Becoming A Teacher” Graduate Confesses

By Jane Okoth

Kenyan teachers have been in never ending strikes for more than a decade, thanks to the government failure to review their salaries and allowances.

As Kenya is known to have a bad history with strikes as workers never win, so are the teachers who are always on the streets demanding better working conditions.

What is the future of this profession that has mentored individuals of all generations?

According to an article in the star, the giant teachers union KNUT is set to meet with the Teachers Service Commission TSC on talks that is to see the government increase their salaries and allowances.

If the talks collapse, the union chairperson Wilson Sossion, says that a nationwide strike that will definitely sabotage learning will be evidenced.

How many have ever envied teaching when were growing up? How many would study teaching as a profession and how many would take up the job?

“I would never dream of becoming a teacher!” says Zadock Muturi, a jobseeker with a diploma in project management.

“I would never go to a class and teach under any circumstances. Who has the time to protest in the streets and be engaged in running battles all the time?” he asks

“Their salary is just too little compared with the heavy workload they do. If I don’t get a job with my field of study I will look for another profession but not teaching,” he concludes.

I used to envy teaching a lot when I was growing up,” says Dorothy Liyondo, a form four student a public secondary school.

“But with the harsh reality in our country, I would never study teaching in college. It has now become normal for teachers going on strike whenever they feel aggrieved.”She says.

“Why won’t the government just solve this problem that is now becoming a cancer once and for all?” She asks.

“I have a maize business that I ventured into some time back that I do whenever am not in the classroom,” a teacher at a leading public primary school who asked to remain anonymous confesses.

“I simply cannot depend on the TSC salaries because it is an insult to our intelligence and not realistic at all. What I am left with after paying all my loans and deductions is too embarrassing to say in public. That is why teachers turn to private tuition because the salary is hardly enough. Our profession needs serious intervention by the government and also concerned stakeholders,” he opines.

“What we are doing as teachers is priceless but the payment is demoralizing us,” he concludes.

Would you take the profession and what challenges are you facing as a teacher?

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