Teachers demand up to 900% increase in allowances for KCSE exam duties

Secondary school teachers, through the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), are pushing for a substantial increase in allowances for their role in administering the upcoming Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

The exams are set to begin on October 22, 2024.

In a letter to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, Kuppet requested a 750 percent increase in the daily allowance for invigilators, from the current Sh400 to Sh3,000.

Supervisors, who currently receive Sh450, are also poised to receive Sh3,500, a 778 per cent increase.

Additionally, Kuppet has proposed a 900% increase in pay for principals serving as examination centre managers, from Sh500 to Sh4,500 per day.

"Our members have vowed to reject the current remuneration structure during the upcoming examinations. As the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Kenya National Examination's Council (KNEC) budget, we urge you to assist the council in compensating teachers as provided under the Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual for the Public Service, which is the applicable benchmark across the government," Kuppet Secretary-General Akello Misori said in the letter.

A file picture of Akello Misori, Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET). (Photo: Handout)

Misori further emphasised that the current payment structure for exam officials, from invigilators to supervisors and markers, is unsatisfactory.

"This level of remuneration for exam managers and examiners is grossly unsatisfactory, falls short of Kenya's standards for fair labour practice, and contributes greatly to the low morale in the teaching service. It also negatively impacts the credibility of national examinations," he said.

A series of grievances, including the issue of allowances for teachers during the examination period, prompted the union's August strike, which led to the demand for better compensation.

Although a consent agreement with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) ended the strike, the matter of remuneration remains unresolved.

"Teachers are the only cadre currently lacking policy guidelines on compensation for out-of-station work. The result of this anomaly is that teachers perform such duties under terms and conditions of service that border on servitude. Indeed, unskilled casual workers engaged by the government to plant trees during national holidays and youths engaged under Kazi Mtaani are more highly remunerated than professional teachers managing national examinations," Misori said.

KNEC has faced ongoing budgetary challenges in compensating exam officials after the government halted the collection of examination fees.

Instead, KNEC relies on allocations from the National Treasury, which have been insufficient to meet the growing number of candidates. The council received Sh5 billion in the current budget, but due to the budget shortfall, delays in payment to teachers persist.

KNEC CEO David Njengere. (Photo: KNEC)

Last year, KNEC distributed examination materials to 576 centres across the country. For the 2024 KCSE exams, rehearsals will take place on October 18, with the main exams running from October 22 to November 22.

In addition, Grade 6 learners will have rehearsals for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) on October 25, followed by exams from October 28 to 31.

During this time, learners with special needs will also receive the Kenya Intermediate Learner Education Assessment (KILEA).

There will be no Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams this year, as the final cohort of 8-4-4 system students completed primary school last year.

Secondary school teachers will exclusively serve as both supervisors and invigilators for this year's KCSE exams, a shift from previous years when primary school teachers also participated as invigilators.