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The intern teachers started receiving the show-cause letters on Thursday.
- The protests entered the second week on Tuesday as millions of learners across the country lack teachers in classrooms for the second term.
Image: FILE
Junior Secondary School intern teachers who have been protesting across the country over the terms of their employment contracts have started receiving show-cause letters from the Teachers Service Commission.
The intern teachers started receiving the letters on Thursday.
This is after TSC sent out a letter to regional directors of education last week seeking information on the number of intern teachers who have been missing classes due to the protests.
"It is noted with a lot of concern that you breached the provisions of TSC Act Schedule Clause (b) in that you engaged in professional misconduct by being absent from duty," the letter reads in part.
"Given the above, the commission is contemplating termination of your engagement as an intern. Therefore, you're hereby called upon to show cause why the internship engagement with the commission should not be terminated."
TSC asked the interns to submit a response on the matter within 14 days.
"Failure to which the contemplated action will be taken against you without further reference to you," the Commission said.
The protests entered the second week on Tuesday as millions of learners across the country lack teachers in classrooms for the second term.
TSC said it plans to employ up to 26,000 JSS intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms in January 2025.
The teachers' employer told MPs it would take Sh8.3 billion to confirm the 26,000 teachers to permanent terms.
On whether TSC could confirm all the 46,000 JSS intern teachers by July 1, 2024, the Commission said it would need approximately Sh30 billion.
The Kenya National Union has called on the TSC to recall the letters.
Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu on Thursday said the union had earlier suspected that in the long run, TSC would issue the teachers with show cause letters with the intention of commencing disciplinary action against them.
"Quite a number of the teachers have received We want TSC to recall all show-cause letters served to the demonstrating intern teachers," Oyuu said.
The Knut boss said the union "wants to protect the interns from being intimidated and disciplined out of the fact that they didn't know exactly what it will lead to."
Oyuu said the union has sought a sitting with the commission's legal affairs director who signed the letters to find a return-to work formula for the teachers.