School heads want more teachers hired in Northeastern

The Kenya Primary Schools Head teachers Association-Northeastern branch has urged the government to address understaffing.

Chairman Hassan Farah said many schools are run by headteachers and BOG teachers.

He spoke yesterday during the opening of the two-day Kepsha regional conference in Garissa Primary School.

Garissa county has 231 primary schools.

Farah said only 30 schools in towns are not affected by under staffing.

He said despite their numerous pleas, nothing has been done.

“How on earth is a headteacher expected to single handedly run a school with 8 streams and at the same time attend to administrative issues?” he asked.

Insecurity caused by al Shabaab militants has affected key sectors in the region, among them, education.

Some non-local teachers, especially those in insecurity prone areas and border towns, left the region.

Farah, who is the headteacher Alfurqan Primary School urged TSC to confirm teachers in acting capacity.

“We want them confirmed and their salaries paid as per their grade,” he said.

Garissa subcounty chairman Siyat Hussein called for the promotion of teachers.

“Many headteachers, who have been on acting capacity for long, are demoralised. TSC needs to fast-track their promotion,” the Iftin Primary School headteacher said.

He called for the construction of more classrooms to avoid overcrowding and elevate the standards of education.

Warable Primary School headteacher Athman Mwaura urged the government to increase capitation fee to enable them pay Junior Secondary School teachers.

More than 500 headteachers attended the two day meeting.

Farah said the meeting will be held annually and expressed optimism that it will benefit members.

This year's theme is ‘advancing basic education effectiveness through transformative leadership and management of the digital age school.

Some of the issues that the headteachers also deliberated on include, use of technology in education.