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*WILSON SOSSION COURT SG STAY IN KNUT vs CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC*

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Court Sg of Knut Sossion seems not sensitive about the spread and definitely the plight of teachers for effective medical service delivery to prevent it's spread to other parts of the country even as cases keeps on adding up. The only people giving hope to teachers are Government officials led by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has put in measures in place to mitigate this pandemic, TSC through constant dispatch of information which is helpful, KUPPET through Sg Akello Misori, and KEWOTA .

Wilson Sossion , tough headed as he is , is busy crafting for meetings quietly in his Longisa Ranch in Bomet County and not bothered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Led by his key board warriors while the Knut numbers keep dwindling, the team has been tasked has been tasked first to create a narrative that Knut isn't dead and that TSC should continue remitting third party deductions like union Commission while are against Loan Holiday. They keep saying that the Employer killed Knut and the revolutionary are agents of the state, something that is a completely a lie. Sossion has wished for a total lock down which hasn't come to be realized; so insensitive statement at such a critical moment.

The second narrative they have created is that KUPPET is seeking cheap relevance; another lie that has refused to sell to the teachers who are busy maintaining hygiene, and keeping social distance and not listening to team Jonah's lies. What surprises teachers is that they are busy selling non existent rift at this time when every single Kenyan is moaning. So sad.

It's surprisingly that this hyena in sheep's skin by the name Wilson Sossion doesn't care at all on the major issue facing Knut but has proved to be opportunist whose interest is looting Knut regardless of the current situation. Sossion isn't different from Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi who ensured he infected as many people as he can with the Virus. Teachers should completely ignore Sossion theatrics and observe hygiene on this PANDEMIC and implement government measures to prevent it's spread.

*Onyango Otieno, PhD*
*BREAKING: KENYA REVENUE AUTHORITY RAIDS KENYA NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS HQS*

Yesterday, the Kenya Revenue Authority raided KNUT HQS seeking 300 million in unpaid remittances. For those not in the know, union dues to KNUT dropped from 180 million in June 2019 to today 55 million that is supposed to be distributed to the 110 KNUT branches and pay salaries for the 1700 fulltime KNUT fulltime staff including the 110 branch secretaries. Salaries alone for KNUT staff, including remittances to KRA, NHIF, medical cover, NSSF, Pension to retired staff, car running allowances, servicing loans etc costs KNUT 120 million every month. Simply, the current union dues coming from TSC cannot even pay the staff leave alone remit taxes.

To cut costs, the SG Sossion in November 2019 declared that KNUT head office will NOT pay salaries to branch secretaries. He ordered that the little union dues dripping to the branches should be used to pay the executive secretaries. This now meant, that the branch secretaries no longer get salaries from the central payroll at KNUT HQS that usually sorts out the taxes and 3rd party dues eg, medical or pension. For 4 months now…. KNUT HAS NOT PAID TAXES.


And the TAX MAN has come calling, threatening to stop all operations at the former giant union. KNUT HAS BEEN GIVEN 7 DAYS to remit the money at face closure. Kenya Commercial Bank is also eyeing the KNUT HQS building on Mfangano street due a 1.8 billion loan that KNUT is NOT servicing properly. KNUT National trustees need to give a statement.. on the BALANCE SHEET AT KNUT.. BEFORE WE TEACHERS LOSE WHAT WE HAVE INVESTED IN FOR YEARS…SINCE 1965.

*CONCLUSION*
KNUT is turning out to be a big scandal. The more reason why we are calling on all teachers who value their solidarity…we cannot run away from KNUT.. It is time to move in and save the union from bad leadership and total collapse. We are asking for total change of guard.. at KNUT HQS as soon as possible.

#AmungaPeter
Revised April Radio Broadcast Timetable. @TeachersUpdates
*BOM EMPLOYED TEACHERS SALARY RIGHTS DURING COVID 19*

Covid 19 Pandemic has rendered it impossible to continue having BOM Teachers attend their places of work, considering such situation the teachers are entitled to their full salaries during the entire period.

Pursuant to Employment Act 2007; where an employer requires employees to take unpaid leave, the employer must obtain the employee’s written consent.
AND
Employer shall not terminate a contract of service on account of redundancy unless the employer complies with the following conditions—
(a) where the employee is a member of a trade union, the employer notifies the union to which the employee is a member and the labour officer in charge of the area where the employee is employed of the
reasons for, and the extent of, the intended redundancy not less than a month prior to the date of the intended date of termination on account of redundancy;
(b) where an employee is not a member of a trade union, the employer notifies the employee personally in writing and the labour officer;
(c) the employer has, in the selection of employees to be declared redundant had due regard to seniority in time and to the skill, ability and reliability of each employee of the particular class of employees affected by the redundancy;
(d) where there is in existence a collective agreement between an employer and a trade union setting out terminal benefits payable upon redundancy; the employer has not placed the employee at a disadvantage for being or not being a member of the trade union;
(e) the employer has where leave is due to an employee who is declared redundant, paid off the leave in cash;
(f) the employer has paid an employee declared redundant not less than one month’s notice or one month’s wages in lieu of notice; and
(g) the employer has paid to an employee declared redundant
severance pay at the rate of not less than fifteen days pay for each completed year of service.

So either way the Labour laws protects an employee and the affected BOM Teachers should check whether the aforementioned is in consideration.

My appeal would be in dire financial constraint the schools should have an agreement with the teachers on possibility of reduced pay to be compensated in arrears when normalcy resumes. Otherwise should the teachers take legal redress the schools will loose

*@ Wawire Nyang'*
*_WHY KCSE, KCPE CANDIDATES MUST RESUME SCHOOL BY JUNE_*

Augustine Oduor 24th Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT +0300


*_It is now emerging that the government may only have up to the end of June to recall candidates to school to cover the syllabus and have equal chance to sit the national examinations._*

Interviews with teachers and education experts reveal that anything beyond June will force the government to make serious adjustments, which may disadvantage some candidates.

With three weeks already lost during the first term, teachers said another delay beyond June will pose a huge challenge in covering the syllabus and preparing children for examinations. Secondary school heads said by the end of June, some 11 weeks will have been lost, arguing that any additional week would not be easily recovered.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) national chairman Kahi Indimuli said schools can adjust to covering the syllabus and prepare the candidates.


*_“We can reduce the August holiday to recover the first three weeks lost in the first term and seek ways of getting back the four weeks lost in May,” said Indimuli._*

According to the 2020 school calendar, the second term was scheduled to start on May 4 and to last 14 weeks with the closing date set for August 7.

The one-week half-term scheduled for June 15-19 would be used to recover some of the lost time. The third term was to start on August 31 and end on October 30 to pave way for the national examinations. Knec examination timetable shows KCPE was to start on October 27 and KCSE on November 2.
Time lost


Indimuli said the national examinations could be delayed by another three weeks so as to fully recover the four weeks lost in June.

“This means we may start national examinations towards the end of November and complete it before Christmas time. Marking could even be done next year as was the practice long before the reforms,” said Indimuli.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary-General Akello Misori cautioned that beyond June, a whole term will have been lost and it would never be the same.

*_According to this year’s school calendar, the first and second terms were to last 14 weeks. The third term for primary schools was to last nine weeks and 10 weeks for secondary schools._*

“With more than 11 weeks gone, we may not have express learning with examinations in mind. A time will come when it is impossible,” said Misori.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion, however, believes there shall be adequate time to prepare students for national examinations post coronavirus.

“The syllabus is as good as done in most schools; what is remaining is revision and preparing students for the examinations,” said Sossion.

Parents, however, said they will not release their children to schools unless the coronavirus curve is flattened.

_“Parents’ fear remains the safety of their children, whether candidates or in lower classes. This will all depend on the coronavirus curve,” said Nicholas Maiyo, the national chairman of parents._

He further said that before children go back to schools, they must be screened and those infected isolated.

“They all come from diverse counties some with many cases registered and this will affect learning if proper measures are not taken into consideration,” said Maiyo.

Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) national chairman Nicholas Gathemia, however, said teachers will be ready to teach as long as their safety and those of children are guaranteed.


“As long as we are assured that children and teachers will be safe, we shall support the government initiative,” said Gathemia.

*_In an interview with The Standard, Indimuli said with the proposed adjustments, it would be practical to retain the January to September school calendar._*
Adjust calendar

“There must be exit and transition period for learners in an education system. If this does not happen then it means that the education calendar may be adjusted to start in September and end September next year to coincide with universities admissions time,” s
aid Indimuli.

However, he said, this may pose serious challenges because students may be forced to sit in same class for another year.

“This will come with a lot of stress among the learners. The other question will be what happens to Grade 4 pupils in Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Will they repeat or will they be moved to the 8-4-4 system,” said Indimuli.

_Secondary school heads said if Kenyans comply with health directives on management of Covid-19 and candidates are sent to school before end of June, teachers would do their best to cope._

Indimuli advised that before schools open, the Ministry of Health must fumigate all the institutions and shelve plans to use them as isolation centres.

“They should also provide face masks and sanitisers for use in schools by the candidates, teachers and the lean support staff,” said Indimuli.
Implementation Of Voluntary Salary Cuts In The Public Service.
Types of Teachers
*Walimu kujeni hapa*
1. The Broadcaster: Reads from a textbook and asks students to make notes. After the lesson this one, too, heads to the staffroom for tea break. They act like they've made it in life.

2. The Delegator: Delegates work to the learner with the best handwriting and the monitor. On sosho media during lessons.

3. The Makeup Artist: applies too much makeup and fashion conscious. Dresses skimpily. They teach mostly Literature and English.

4. The Braggart: Spends most of the lesson bragging how bright they were in school, what they've accomplished and how they've helped relatives. They teach half the lesson.

5. The StoneFace: Wears sura ya kazi always. Their classes are mostly full and quiet due to fear. They're sex-deprived and depressed. Has all loan apps on their phones.

6. The Latecomer: This one left college when Kenyatta was still president. They go to class 10 minutes late but leaving is not easy; students have to drop spoons when lunchtime is ½way through.

7. Multitasker: Stops lessons halfway to attend to some personal errand; maybe a baby they left in the school kitchen or staffroom, answer a call from a relative in the US...most lessons end prematurely.

8. The Comedian: They could have joined Churchill Live but somehow they ended up in Kiswahili or History lecture rooms. They don't teach maths. It's not easy to find a funny maths teacher.

9. Miss OCD: They suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. They can't touch the duster lest they cough their intestines out. They carry 4 handkerchiefs, wet wipes and tissue.

10. The OCS: This one could have joined the Army and fight for Kenya in Somalia. Somehow they found themselves in college and now they teach Biology and Chemistry. They're the Discipline Masters.

11. Diet Expert: This one sneezes a lot and doesn't eat most of the school meals. Knows the importance of pumpkin and cord liver oil. Carries her water and charger.

12. The IT Expert: All digital devices and problems wait for him. He supports Manchester Utd or Arsenal. He's always in debt.

13. TSC Agent: Has the TSC Code of conduct booklet, knows all the announcements but he doesn't own a smartphone. If he has one his WhatsApp is obsolete or no bundles.

Kuna mmoja who tries hard to be funny but I know he's a petty attention seeker....
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bit.ly/2YjanVF - Education CS George Magoha announced that the Government has not postponed the KCPE and KCSE however learners will have to stay at home for a further four weeks as the Government battles to contain the spread of covid-2019.

Schools were scheduled to start their second term on May 4th, 2020
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TSC Medical Cover Administrators Suspendeds Services of Nairobi Women's Hospital due to fraudulent activities in the institution.


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https://teachersupdates.co.ke/single_post.php?post-slug=mathematics-revision-with-babu-owino

The Flamboyant Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino turns his Facebook page into a virtual classroom for mathematics on Labour Day.