Senators push for enhanced perks for ECDE teachers

Early Childhood Development Education teachers could soon enjoy enhanced perks if governors implement a resolution of the Senate.

This is even as the Council of Governors mulls providing capitation for ECDE centres just like other levels of education; primary, secondary and vocational.

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

Mutahi, in a report to the Senate, added that capitation would cover teaching and learning materials, school feeding programmes, classroom management and infrastructure.

These, he said, take the bulk of the ECDE budget every financial year.

Counties should 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 pending approval by the House also recommends the National Treasury provides 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.

Slow implementation of the scheme of service for ECDE teachers has led to their slow and irregular remuneration, adversely affecting their morale. 

In addition, 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 tabling of this report establish modalities and create collaboration framework on ECDE teachers’ management and capacity building, and develop a program to roll out CBC to ECDE learners and teachers.”

Data provided by the CoG shows 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.” 

Currently, 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 cadre,” the report states.

A framework to establish conditional granting and ring-fencing for governments to fund the ECDE sector should also be established.

“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 Ministry of Education and the TSC should facilitate their quality assurance and standards officers to undertake rigorous monitoring and inspections of the centres.