The Junior Secondary School intern teachers have served the government with a strike notice, as they demanded to be employed on permanent, and pensionable terms.

This was during a peaceful demonstration held on Monday May 6, 2024 in Kilifi, when junior secondary school teachers accused their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), of abuse and rights violations.

“What we are asking is for the government to confirm and compensate us for the time we have been under internship,” said Azani Ngumbao, a JSS intern teacher.

He emphasized that the monthly gross salary of Ksh20,000 is insufficient to meet their needs, especially considering it is subject to tax deductions similar to those of permanent employees.

“We demand that TSC respects the court’s ruling declaring internships illegal,” Azani added.

Recent court ruling deemed TSC’s internship program illegal.

The assigning of internship positions to qualified teachers with teaching license was found to infringe upon their rights to fair labor practices.

Ngumbao also noted  that over 1,200 JSS teachers in the county will not report to work once schools reopen for the second term of 2024.

Andrew Lelei, who is also a JSS intern teacher, noted that neglecting the teachers’ needs would undermine the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). 

“We as interns have endured enough hardships. They are using us to advance the CBC program while not including us in their payrolls,” he said.

Lelei accused some Members of Parliament who are distributing employment letters to recent graduates, neglecting older graduates who are yet to secure permanent employment.