ECDE TEACHERS ARE OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID, SAYS LOBBY

Lawrence Otunga, the chair of the Kenya Union of Pre-Primary Education Teachers (KUNOPPET), has stated that young educators are underpaid and overworked.

Otunga stated in a speech on Tuesday that the majority of counties have appalling early childhood development education (ECDE) management.

He claimed that educators who work with young students are underappreciated, overworked, and underpaid.

"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."

Additionally, he chastised county administrations for their position on the reforms suggested for the operation of ECDE.

This occurred just a few days after the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms' recommendations to move the ECDE management from county to national government were turned down by the Council of Governors (COG).

The governors claimed that the recommendations compromised the fundamental foundation and organization of the Constitution.

Eric Mutai, the COG chairperson of the Education Committee, stated in a statement that this has also prevented it from taking part in any procedure aimed at enacting the recommendations.

"To the extent that the recommendations compromise the fundamental framework and structure of the constitution, the COG categorically does not agree and rejects them in their entirety," Mutai declared.

Otunga expressed his concerns about the governors' rejection of their proposals in a press conference on Sunday.

"COG should leave matters about education to experts as they are not legally a group of employers." The union chairperson stated that their interests and the public interests shouldn't clash.

Conversely, the Kenya Union of Teachers (Knut) censured the council for their resistance to accepting modifications. They asked the county chiefs to prioritize the needs of the kids.