SRC Assures ECDE Teacher about Salary Deductions
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has addressed a circular that circulated on the internet that claimed that Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers’ salaries had been reviewed downwards.
Speaking while appearing before the Senate Education Committee on Thursday, the SRC Chairperson Lynne Mengich said that the circular was misleading and had errors.
The SRC Chair had appeared before the Senate Committee of Education led by Senator Joe Nyutu and the Council of Governors Education Committee Chairperson Dr Erick Mutai reiterated that they cannot review salaries downwards.
“We came to learn about the new salary structure in the media. It is not based on any fact and the SRC structure of 2021 is the one that prevails. No ECDE teacher will have their salary reduced to Kes. 7,000,” assured Mengich.
Kericho County Governor Mutai told the committee that counties had recruited around 43,874 ECDE teachers.
He also dismissed claims of a salary deduction for ECDE teachers.
“I do not know where this new structure came from. No governor will implement the fake letter,” he said.
According to Mutai, Governors take ECDE teachers seriously. He also revealed that around Kes. 10 billion is spent every year in financing the program.
“Critically, the annual budget allocation for the Education function (which mostly combines with gender, youth, labour, ICT, and social services) is an estimated Kes. 10,828,076,256. The cost of implementing the scheme of service far exceeds the total budget allocation for the Education Ministry by Kes. 2,082,067,231.80, a 16% per cent variance,” said Mutai.
Committee Chairperson Joe Nyutu said that his team had called in the two to issue clarifications on the following tension among ECDE teachers over the issue.
“There were reports that ECDE teachers were going to earn Kes. 7,000 and we thought this was unacceptable,” he said.
According to Nyutu, his committee is working on ensuring that all ECDE teachers are employed on a permanent and pensionable basis.
On their part, the Council of Governors implored the Senate to cost early childhood education and ensure that adequate National Government funds are allocated for the same.
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