The Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPPET) chair Lawrence Otunga has said that young teachers are overworked and underpaid.
Speaking on Tuesday, Otunga said that the management of the Early Childhood Development Education(ECDE) in most counties is terrible.
“Teachers who are handling the young learners are undermined, underpaid and overworked," he said.
"I can say that the management of ECDE in most counties is terrible and that is why we support the report by the task force for ECDE teachers to be transferred to the national government."
He also castigated county administrations over their stance on the reforms recommended for ECDE management.
This comes days after the Council of Governors (COG) rejected the recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, to have the ECDE management transferred from the County level to the National government.
According to the governors, the recommendations undermined the basic structure and framework of the Constitution.
In a statement, the COG chairperson of the Education committee, Eric Mutai said because of that, it has also inhibited its participation in any process that seeks to legislate the recommendations.
“The COG categorically does not agree and rejects the recommendations in entirety to the extent that they undermine the basic structure and framework of the constitution,” Mutai said.
Otunga in a presser on Sunday articulated his concerns on why governors rejected their recommendations.
“COG is not legally a group of employers; therefore, they should keep off matters concerning education and leave it to experts. Their interests should not conflict with the public interests,” the union chairperson said.
On the other side, the Kenya Union of Teachers (Knut) also reproved the council over their opposition to embracing changes. They urged the county chiefs to focus on children’s interests.
