Kenyans among them P1 teachers have petitioned the Senate concerning salary arrears for P1 teachers with `A` level academic qualification from 1996 to 2010.

Ms. Ruth Kabui and other P1 teachers are praying that the Senate intervenes in the matter with a view to recommending to the National Treasury and Economic Planning to factor in the budget to enable payment of salary arrears to the teachers.

“In July 1996, the then Directorate of Personnel Management of the Teachers Service Commission issued a scheme of service for non-graduate teachers, giving the requirements for appointment and promotion for non-graduate teachers, the said schemes were implemented by the Commission after which an attendant regrading was required,” explained the petitioners.

“The then Ministry of Education, Science and Technology through the Chief Inspector of Schools requested all District Education Officers, Municipal Education Officers and City Director of Education to submit the names of trained Primary School Teachers 1 (P1), with “A” level academic qualifications countrywide to the Ministry,” they submitted.

“The Ministry thereafter proceeded to grade untrained “A” level teachers who had attended a two weeks programme at Kagumo and Bondo Teachers Training colleges to Secondary School Teachers 1 (S1), locking other “A” Level Primary School Teachers 1 (P1), who had not attended the course resulting to complains by the Primary School Teachers 1 (P1) “A” level trained teachers,” added petitioners.

Further, the petitioners argue that those teachers who were promoted in the year 1996 are yet to receive their salary arrears since the date of promotion which is contrary to Standard Labour Practices an issue that they want the Senate to intervene and address.

“Another group of Approved Teachers IV (ATS IV) were also promoted in the year 1996, the then Scheme of Scheme of service for non-graduate teachers stipulated that the existing Secondary School Teachers 1 (S1), promoted to Primary School Teachers 1 (P1) were to convert to Approved Teachers IV while Teachers with Diploma Certificates would convert to Diploma Teachers, additionally, in July, 2010, the Primary School Teachers 1 (P1), were also promoted but were not issued with promotion letters,” emphasize the petitioners.

The Petition was committed to the Standing Committee on Education and as the standing order 238(2) stipulates, the Committee is required, in not more than sixty calendar days from the time of reading the Prayer, to respond to the Petitioners by way of a Report addressed to the Petitioners and laid on the Table of the Senate.