TSC warns budget slash puts teachers’ medical scheme, CBA at risk

The National Assembly Committee on Education has raised concerns about the proposed Ksh 10.3 billion reduction in the budget for the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for the 2024/25 financial year.

TSC CEO Nancy Macharia emphasized that these cuts would primarily impact recurrent expenditure, affecting critical areas such as teacher recruitment, training, implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and medical cover for teachers.

Macharia informed the committee that the cuts would hinder their ability to recruit the planned 20,000 teachers in October 2024 and convert 46,000 interns to permanent status.

Committee Chair Julius Melly expressed particular concern about the impact of the cuts on teacher recruitment, promotion, and the implementation of the CBA signed with teacher unions in August 2023.

The CBA includes a salary increase of up to 9.5 per cent spread over two years, but the proposed budget cuts cast doubt on the availability of funds for this agreement.

Additionally, the committee voiced concerns about the potential impact on teacher training, with a reduction of Ksh 262 million allocated for this purpose.

The proposed budget also reduces the provision for medical cover, group life, and personal accident cover for teachers by 50 per cent, creating a shortfall of Ksh 11.89 billion.

This shortfall could jeopardize the continuation of the current three-year medical scheme for teachers in its third year.

Melly emphasized the importance of adequately funding the Ministry of Education and TSC, stating, “We ask Treasury to appropriate adequately. If it’s not funded, core ministries like Education and TSC will be crippled.”

The committee directed the National Treasury to provide additional sources of funds to implement the CBA, medical scheme, recruitment of Junior Secondary School interns, and promotion of teachers.

Macharia also confirmed a reduction in the development budget by Ksh 38 million, affecting ongoing capital projects, including the construction of county offices and the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning Programme.

The committee noted the potential impact of the budget cuts on the administration of national examinations scheduled for later this year, as the entire allocation for examination waivers, totaling Sh5 billion, has been removed.

Overall, the education sector budget has been reduced by Ksh 33.3 billion, impacting all three State Departments under the Ministry of Education as well as the TSC.