'Nemis is not working. It is being used to punish schools. That we have seen,” said Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
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Teachers on Monday called for the abolition of the use of the National Education Management Information System, saying it has failed.
Nemis, a web-based data management system, was designed by the Education Ministry to streamline the data of students for informed decision-making and planning.
It is linked to a Unique Identifier that is randomly generated using an algorithm. The ministry has been using the system for capitation.
However, the Kenya National Union of Teachers on Monday said the system has been abused by some ministry officials.
“Nemis is not working. It is being used to punish schools. That we have seen,” said Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion.
He spoke on the first of the four-day Kenya Primary School Head Teachers Association 15th Annual Delegates Conference at the Kenya School of Revenue Administration in Mombasa.
Sossion said, “When the ministry gets about Sh5 billion, they disburse selectively and they give an excuse using Nemis.”
He said Nemis should be suspended until it is proved that the system is not the problem.
He said Education CS George Magoha should invite stakeholders including Knut, Kepsha and Kuppet to agree on how the system will work.
Sossion said the system was denying teachers and schools the much-needed capitation and other funds.
Secondary school principals rejected Nemis, citing an identification error code, which they say was denying capitation funds to deserving students.
The principals wanted the system suspended and the ministry to revert to the manual system of conducting headcounts in schools to determine the allocation of capitation funds.
The Ministry said the manual system had been abused by teachers who wanted to get more cash yet they had fewer learners.
In September, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association said at least 300,000 students in secondary school are not on the platform. Its chairman Indimuli Kahi said only half of the estimated enrolment is captured in primary schools.
“So do we all agree that we get rid of it in solidarity?” the unionist asked the gathering that responded with a thunderous “Yes.”
He said teachers will remain opposed to the system until it is proven that it actually works well.
The unionist, also a nominated MP, revisited the emotive policy of delocalisation saying it was hurting teachers more than it was helping the education sector.
Teachers have been opposed to the policy because it separates them from their families.
The Unesco recommendation on deployment of teachers talks about communities, Sossion said.
“The UN identifies tribes and even clans. We are working hard to identify minority tribes like the Oromo. They must also have their teachers,” Sossion said.
He said teaching is both an ethnic and cultural duty.
“If you want to teach Standard 1 children at Nyeri Primary School, you cannot bring a Kalenjin from Kericho. You must train a Kikuyu teacher from Nyeri who can speak fluent Kikuyu,” Sossion said.
He said that is the global practice all over the world.
“The community must create their own teachers who understand the linguistic and cultural set-up of the people.”
The Teachers Service Commission insists the delocalisation policy is meant to create national cohesion. Sossion, however, said the teacher's employer should stick to its core mandate.
“TSC, you cannot solve the political problems of this country,” Sossion said.
He said the foundation of a quality teacher is their family thus separating teachers from their families is reducing their quality.
edited by p. obuya