Respite for country as strikes season ends

What has been a really difficult time for the government in recent weeks, with several national strike threats, is easing. Secondary school teachers had gone ahead with their strike, paralysing learning countrywide.

However, the good news is that the boycott is off and preparations for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination next month and the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment can now go ahead in earnest.

The KCSE exam candidates will be particularly overjoyed, as this final exam will determine their future. Some will join universities, as others will be admitted to tertiary colleges, or go for skills training.

The teachers’ one-week strike was called off on Monday after a day-long meeting between the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). The union was pushing for the implementation of the second phase of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA), among other demands.

Civil servants’ strike

The standoff was somewhat eased by TSC boss Nancy Macharia’s confirmation that the government had already released funds for the implementation of the CBA.

Kuppet has also secured the restoration of the teachers’ healthcare scheme in public and private hospitals and the effecting of long-overdue promotions.

Another major respite for the government is the averting of the civil servants’ strike. Yesterday, the Union of Kenya Civil Servants said its members will not down tools after the government agreed to honour the second phase of their CBA. The workers will now receive a pay rise backdated to July 1.

The TSC and Kuppet deserve kudos for the talks that ended the teachers’ strike. However, both parties must continue their dialogue to resolve any other pending issues. Sanity should reign in the education sector, especially during this crucial term.