- He said placing teachers in the areas for too long affects their mental health as the attacks keep on taking place.
- The CS also called on the commission to implement a long-term way of recruiting adequate local teachers from those areas.
Image: KITHURE KINDIKI/TWITTER
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has issued several recommendations to the education sector to protect teachers working in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands like North Rift region.
Appearing before the Education Committee on Wednesday, Kindiki suggested to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to issue flight tickets to non-local teachers in the areas during opening and closing of schools.
He said al-Shabaab terrorists usually target to attack teachers on road, when schools are opened and closed. The CS said the move will enhance the safety of the teachers.
"TSC should consider paying flight ticket for the teachers in Mandera County since road transport poses greater risk. History has shown that teachers are attacked while traveling. The distance from Mandera to Nairobi is around 1,100km long and risky," Kindiki said.
In addition, Kindiki proposed shorter period of service for the non-local teachers in the areas.
He said placing teachers in the areas for too long affects their mental health as the attacks keep on taking place.
"We recommend TSC not to keep non-local teachers that serve in the area for too long because it contributes to their mental stress and even the risk of them getting absorbed and being recruited into some of these networks," Kindiki said.
The CS also called on the commission to reshuffle teachers deployed across the region and aim at posting local teachers in vulnerable areas while non-local teachers in relatively safe areas.
He said TSC should collaborate with security agencies when deploying non-local teachers to hot spot areas.
He also urged the commission to consider giving scholarships to local students from Northern Kenya, so that they can take up teaching positions in their own areas.
"National and County Governments should consider providing full scholarships courses on teaching to entice more locals to embrace the profession," Kindiki said.
The ministry further urged TSC to implement online classes in schools at the North Rift to prevent movement of teachers in the area.
Through the online classes, Kindiki said it will reduce teachers being targets to the terrorists.
"Invest in technology where virtual learning can reduce the need of physical movement of teachers from one place to another," he said.
"In future, there is a need to step-up virtual learning in North Eastern Region by establishing satellite schools."
He also called on teachers and security officers in the North Rift to share information on bandits adding that it will remove tension that exists between them.