First Term Breathes Its Last, but Learning Continues

By Darasa Times

Low pay for teachers blamed for flouting of the ban on holiday tuition by some schools

The first term of the academic year 2010 has finally drawn to an end and schools have closed for the four-week holiday break. But learning has not stopped. Many candidates for this year’s national examinations will not be accompanying their families upcountry for the holiday; instead they will be required in school to either cover what was left unfinished in the first term or to jump guns in syllabus coverage.
Although holiday tuition is viewed in the benefit of the leaner, it is emerging that teachers could be the prime beneficiaries. A researcher on emerging trends in education who is currently volunteering as a teacher in a school in Nairobi's Huruma estate says that holiday tuition helps the poorly paid teachers make some coins for their upkeep.
“Most of these teachers are not paid when schools are closed so they have to be in school for holiday tuition even when there is nothing important to cover in the syllabus. This way they make some money for food and rent bills,” said the researcher whom we cannot name until he finishes his research.
Darasa Times has also learnt that teachers in the slum based private schools are paid as little as Kshs. 3,500 per monthly.

"This way they make some money for food and rent bills"

This is far too little for a descent lifestyle in a city.
For a greater input from teacher and success of the pupils, school directors who talked to Darasa Times asked the government to support the community schools in paying salaries for the teachers.