KUPPET 2021 ADC. Nothing to smile about.

Curtains have closed for this year’s KUPPET Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) that was held at Eldoret with nothing to smile about. The information emerging form the conference is that delegates talked tough on the issue of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) modules .

 

The framework governing the implementation of TPD was launched in the presence of the KUPPET leadership. The same leaders are now turning around to tell teachers that they are not aware on who is supposed to pay for the program that they launched.

Farther they claimed that TSC is yet to release a circular on the implementation of TPD. This is to insinuate that as far as KUPPET is concerned, TPD is yet to begin and the several adverts about TPD on the mainstream media are yet to catch the eye of the union or that they are fake.

Let me try to put some facts straight.

TPD does not mean well for the teachers. Its intention was to curtail the teachers who were using their free time to acquire postgraduate certificates. The certificate could later be used by the teachers to secure greener pastures. As other employers set aside a fund to sponsor some of their employees for farther studies TSC is looking for ways of putting a barrier on it. The 30 year TPD course that has been introduced is a module only known to TSC. It is not something that can be recognized internationally.

The teachers’ unions have this information but their stomachs have tied their hands. If they dare raise a finger on this issue, they can be stuffed to death just like what happen recently to KNUT. As at now it is TSC that decides to activate the exit button on the teachers’ portal for them to exit the union or to deactivate it. If the unions dance to the music of TSC, the exit button is always inactive.

Teachers did object the introduction of another health insurance company that took all their medical allowance. They were of the view that NHIF can be enhanced to offer the services/products the second insurance cover was to bring on board but I can tell you that up to now teachers are forcefully paying two insurance companies.

Where is the problem?

The solution to the teachers’ woes is just simple. If it can be that a teacher will belong to a teachers’ union by default then everything will have been sorted. The threats of introducing an exit button that always threaten the stomachs of the union officials who speak on behalf of the teachers will be a thing of the past.

TPD will be stopped but not now. The second insurance company for the teachers will be stopped but not now. It will happen at a time when teachers will have union officials who will be ready to sacrifice and go beyond the extra mile to make the unions more powerful.

The unions could have taken time to discuss on how they can make their offices more powerful so as to protect the interests of the teachers but this did not happen because most of the officials are eying political seats on the forthcoming general elections hence disinterested on matters of the union.