The Teachers Service Commission has directed striking intern teachers to go back to school.
TSC said that the Internship Programme is a national government initiative aimed at providing practical working experience.
In a statement on Tuesday, TSC said that the striking intern teachers are disobeying court orders.
“The Commission calls upon the teacher interns engaged under the programme to obey the court order and go back to school as teaching and learning in all public schools formally resumed on May 13, 2024,” the statement read.
According to them, the Court ruled in favour of the petitioner but subsequently stayed the judgment until August 1, 2024.
This is after the Forum for Good Governance and Human Rights petitioned the Court challenging the Teacher Internship Programme.
Junior Secondary School intern teachers have vowed to continuously hold protests in different parts of the country until the Teachers Service Commission employs them under permanent and pensionable terms.
The intern teachers are currently employed on contract annually.
Justice Bryrum Ongaya of the Employment and Labour Relations Court on April 17, ruled that TSC violated the intern teachers' right to fair labour practice as they are qualified and possess teaching licenses.“The respondents have not exhibited statutory regulatory or policy arrangements that would entitle the first respondent (TSC) to employ interns,” Ongaya said in the ruling.
“Ideally, the first respondent should employ registered teachers on terms that are not discriminatory and to meet the optimal staffing needs in public schools,” the ruling said.
On Monday, Nairobi County JSS intern teachers Chairperson Owino Okelo led the teachers in a protest.
They marched from the Nairobi bus terminus to TSC headquarters.
"There will be constant strikes by JSS teachers in Nairobi and the country at large until we are confirmed into permanent and pensionable terms," he said.
Okelo said the teachers will not be reporting to schools as interns as it will be deemed an illegality by the courts which ruled that the internship programme by TSC is unlawful.
"We obey the court order by staying away from schools and all teachers shall be involved in peaceful demos as call and agitation for action from TSC in a bid to comply with the court ruling," he said.
The teachers want to be confirmed into permanent and pensionable terms.
They also want to be compensated for the period they have worked without pay as interns.
"TSC is at liberty to call the teachers for negotiations on how the interns can be confirmed into permanent and pensionable terms in compliance with the court ruling," Okelo said.