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Teachers earn Sh100 due to loans burden

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Published on Saturday, 11 August 2007 17:13

The money can either buy a little of petrol, kilo of sugar, three loaves of bread or two copies of the Business Daily at Sh50 each. Petrol costs an average of Sh80 a litre in Nairobi.

With Sh100, one cannot afford two kilos of cooking fat or a bottle of decent drink in upmarket city bar.

But that is not what they are paid as salaries. They use a chunk of their pay to service loans.

Commission report

Although they are not supposed to commit two thirds of their salaries to loans, the practice goes on undetected, according to a report by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission.

The teachers code of regulations says severe financial embarrassment may affect their efficiency and render them liable to disciplinary proceedings.

Teachers should, therefore, not commit more than two thirds their basic salaries. Due to the meagre take-homes, some teachers sub-contract to unauthorised persons to work on their behalf as they concentrate on private business to make ends meet.

“The aspect of teachers sub-contracting other persons to teach on their behalf is serious and disciplinary action should be taken against the teachers including headteachers and district education officers,” said the report.

Insurance policy

The practice is prevalent in Kisii District. The report also cites third party deductions by insurance companies through Teachers Service Commission (TSC) as a major cause of demoralisation since some teachers do not understand what some policies entail.

“There are cases where teachers have been duped into insurance contracts some of which are effected without the necessary authorisation. TSC does not stop third party deductions until the third parties have advised them to stop even when the teacher writes to complain that his or her consent was not sought,” the report says.

Some TSC officials have been colluding with insurance agents to exploit teachers.

The report says newly recruited teachers stay for an average of three to six months before they get their salaries and proposes that the duration be shortened to a month.