Knut's Garissa branch has proposed steps, including the untrained teachers programme, to end al Shabaab attacks on non-locals in the
North Eastern region.
About a week ago, teachers were killed at
Qarsa Primary School in Wajir County, an incident that caused many to leave.
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Members of the Kenya National Union of Teachers in Garissa want Uhuru Kenyatta to issue a presidential decree, lowering the grade for entry to local teachers' colleges to C-.
Secretary General Abdirizak Hussein said on Saturday that high school leavers interested in the profession should then be allowed to join as untrained teachers.
They can teach class one to five and pursue their three-year P1 training at Garissa Teachers' College. Upon completion, he said, the Teachers Service Commission can absorb them.
The official added that non-local teachers should be posted to schools in urban areas and where necessary, the county security organ should assign
Kenya Police Reservists to guard
the institutions.
“We are telling the government this; please, if you have the education of Northern Kenya at heart, let the UT programme be rolled out. Let our children be taken care of by our people who know the terrain,” said Abdirizak.
He addressed the press in
Garissa town after touring several schools in the county.
The Secretary General
said the 88 local teacher-trainees expected to graduate this year should be posted to at-risk schools.
“We suggest this be done if the government is really serious about addressing this problem. Let non-local teachers be moved from areas prone to war at the border and taken to safer areas."
Abdirizak further asked the
national and county governments to work out a formula for teachers to be trained and paid at their expense.
He also noted the acute shortage of professionals that has seen
13 schools face closure. The schools include Bulla Golol, Fafi, Dekaharja, Alinjugur, Amuma, Kulan, Maleilei 1 and 2 and Damajaley Primary schools.
Seven hundred and ninety primary teachers are needed to fill the gap in 195 schools while 33 secondary schools in the entire county require 214.
Livestock Marketing Council chair Dubat Amey said the county should come up with long term solutions and that the three Governors in the region should urgently convene a leaders' conference to discuss problems in the education sector.
The counties should also give incentives to boost teachers' morale, he said.