Senators seek better payment terms of service for ECDE teachers

Senators have launched a bid to have early learning education tutors receive improved payment and working conditions.

Their move is in tandem with plans by governors to issue capitation for Early Childhood and Development Education (ECDE) centres just like other levels of education; primary, secondary, and vocational.

Council of Governors Chairman for Education Mutahi Kahiga revealed that the prospect of ECDE teachers enjoying better perks is possible if capitation is given out to their learning centres.

"If the capitation is provided, this would enable more ECDE teachers to be employed on permanent and pensionable terms," the CoG Education Committee chairman said.

In a report to the Senate, Mutahi indicated that capitation would ensure that matters such as teaching and learning materials, school feeding programmes, classroom management, and infrastructure are catered for.

According to him, these resources gobble up the biggest share of the ECDE budget in devolved units every financial year.

The lawmakers have urged the county chiefs to implement the tutor's scheme of service and provide additional budgets in what could be a windfall for the teachers.

A report by the Senate Education Committee currently waiting for approval by the House also recommends the National Treasury provide grants to the counties.

"The counties should implement the ECDE teachers' scheme of service and provide budgets for ECDE teacher's salary increment to attain minimum salaries in line with SRC guidelines," the committee states.

Stagnation in the execution of plans in the scheme of service for ECDE teachers has led to their poor and irregular remuneration, ultimately affecting their morale for delivery.

Consequently, the committee directed the county public service boards and the Intergovernmental Technical Relations committee to review the job description and roles of the tutors.

"The Council of Governors, the Teachers Service Commission, and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should within 90 days after the tabling of this report establish modalities and create a collaboration framework on ECDE teachers' management and capacity building, and develop a program to roll out CBC to ECDE learners and teachers."

Data given out by the governors indicate that some 32,656 ECDE teachers are employed in 38 counties.

Of the total number, 30, 249 are on contracts, while only 2,407 are on permanent and pensionable terms.

"Five county governments have fully implemented the scheme of service, five have partially implemented while the rest are yet to implement the scheme of service."

The lowest-paid ECDE certificate holder earns Sh9,420 monthly, while the highest-paid graduate teacher is paid Sh59,770.

"The bulk of the ECDE teachers have a monthly remuneration ranging between Sh12,000 and Sh22,000 across all cadres," the report states.

A new model to establish how ECDE teachers should be paid and their learning centres funded should be established, according to the senators.

"The county governments should provide sufficient resources to the ECDE sector and the county assemblies should consider enhanced legislation aimed at increasing annual budgetary allocating to the ECDE sector at least 10 per cent of the county revenue."

The lawmakers also want the Ezekiel Machogu-led Ministry of Education and the TSC to facilitate quality assurance and standards officers to undertake rigorous monitoring and inspections of ECDE centres.