Machogu stated that the decision was made by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
The reduction has particularly impacted the 46,000 JSS intern teachers who have been eagerly awaiting their confirmation since 2023.
The government is planning permanent and pensionable terms for all 46,000 of them and will hire 20,000 interns starting in July.
PS Kipsang emphasised that the issue falls under labour relations and will be addressed by the Ministry of Labour and the Teachers Service Commission.
The STEM outreach subjects include mathematics, integrated sciences (physics, biology, and chemistry), and pre-technical studies in the Junior Secondary Schools.
Kuppet deputy secretary general Moses Thurima explained said TSC's action also breached the Return-to-Work Formula (RTWF) negotiated by the union to resolve the three-week teachers' strike.
The court issued the suspension against the Employment and Labour Relations Court's directive which had mandated the TSC to transition the intern teachers to permanent positions.
The teachers have been fired over protests that started on May 13 as they demanded permanent and pensionable posts.
In various letters seen by The Eastleigh Voice, the TSC argues that the teachers failed to report to duty and engaged in professional misconduct.
The decision follows productive negotiations with the National Assembly’s Labour and Education committee, resulting in the approval of some key demands and their presentation to the budget committee.
According to KUPPET, the JSS teachers were not part of a trade union and thus could not form a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Machogu said lack of funds poses a serious threat to the quality of education, particularly for students with severe disabilities
However, JSS group’s spokesperson Omari Omari said the JSS teachers' group prefers to start their union.
The activist says the teachers in question were not appointed in accordance with the provisions of Article 237 (2) of the constitution and therefore the contract fell short of contracts of employment.
The deployment aims to address teacher shortages and imbalances in subject combinations in junior secondary sections.
Starting July 1, 2024, the 26,000 teachers, who were initially slated to transition to permanent and pensionable terms in January 2025, will benefit from the new employment status.
The reinstatement of the Sh2 billion budget for the programme is a big relief to learners from regions hit by drought and famine, as the lack of basic needs such as food and water keeps them away from school.
The plea arises amidst the refusal of Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers to return to classrooms even as schools commence for the second term.
The directives come as the Junior Secondary School teachers continue to hold demonstrations vowing not to go back to class until TSC heeds their demands.
They say they will not return to work unless the government addresses the key issues of poor pay and changes their contracts to make them permanent and pensionable.