The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has rejected the move by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) to demote non-graduate primary school head teachers without degrees.
However, Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu opposed the move saying non-graduate primary school head teachers need more time to complete their degrees.
"Knut supports the PWPER's radical reforms, which are yet to be promulgated by President William Ruto to make them official. But on this issue of demoting principals, we oppose the move," Oyuu said.
PWPER had proposed that head teachers heading primary schools hosting Junior Secondary School (JSS) at the time of the implementation of the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) head the schools for an interim period lapsing on December 30, 2023.
Oyuu was speaking at Ronald Ngala Primary School in Mombasa during a Knut Coast Regional Council meeting on Sunday.
He said the move is one of the worst labour practices since 99 per cent of Kenyan head teachers are university graduates.
"If anyone thinks that primary school head teachers are not graduates, they are wrong. But if there is a teacher who is not a graduate and he or she is a head teacher and maybe the changes want to propose that they be demoted, that is one of the worst labour practices that we will not allow," Oyuu said.
He reiterated that non-graduate head teachers need to continue with their training to obtain higher qualifications.
“Knut will support non-graduate head teachers and present their proposals to the working group,” Oyuu said.
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms had also proposed the creation of comprehensive schools.
The move aims to bring together pre-primary, primary and junior secondary schools in the same compound under one head teacher.
It noted that head teachers who are not qualified to head comprehensive schools will be given lesser roles.
Oyuu, however, welcomed the proposal saying it will clear confusion of head teachers in charge of the comprehensive schools.
"We are in favour of the idea that we have comprehensive schools so that we have one head of the institution without a lot of confusion," Oyuu said.
