The row over ECDE teachers’ salaries looks far from over with the Ministry of Education calling for better remunerations for the cadre of workers.
The ministry noted that the teachers deserved a better salary differing with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission which has called for a slash.
According to the PS for Basic Education, Dr Belio Kipsang, ECDE teachers play a very critical role at the pre-primary level.
Addressing members of the Senate committee in Sawela Lodge in Naivasha, Kipsang noted that quality ECDE had reduced the cost of education by 15 per cent.
"As you undertake your oversight role, we are asking you to negotiate with SRC so that ECDE teachers can be paid what they deserve," he said.
The PS said there was an urgent need for both levels of government to harmonise and come up with one scheme of service for ECDE teachers across all the counties.
"If this is done, we shall not have disparities in the salary scale for the ECDE teachers as has been the case with some being on permanent terms and others on contract basis," he said.
Kipsang further challenged the Committee to ensure more teachers were employed and well-paid to boost their morale and address the current shortage.
“The work done by ECDE teachers cannot be compared to the other levels of education as they are the first to interact and induct every child to the school life journey,” he said.
On his part, the chair of the Senate committee Joseph Nyutu termed as an insult the proposed move by SRC, saying they would reject it.
The Murang’a Senator questioned the rationale used by SRC to arrive at the decision.
“We reject in totality the proposal by SRC to slash the salaries of ECDE teachers as this is an abuse to the education sector,” he said.
On the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), Nyutu said that the Senate supported the system despite emerging teething problems.
According to him, the system had the capability of addressing the issue of unemployment which had been a major challenge among graduates.
“The system targets talents held by learners and if well implemented, the Competency-Based Curriculum can address the issue of unemployment in the country,” he said.
The new grading and salary structure by the SRC will cut across all job groups of salary range from Sh7,383 to Sh10,803.
In the structure already sent to governors for implementation, teachers at Certificate Level who were in Job Group F would take home Sh7,836 from the current Sh16,890.
Those to bear the greatest brunt of the pay structure are teachers in Job Group H who face a 54 per cent pay cut.
They will earn Sh8,804 from the current Sh18,270.
The changes are contained in a SRC circular dated January 13 addressed to governors in all 47 counties.
