NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 13 – The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has decried the rising cases of HIV/AIDS infection among teachers countrywide.
TSC Secretary Gabriel Longoiboni warned that the rise in prevalence would result in poor performance as some schools would be left with fewer teachers.
"The trend at which teachers are dying due to the infection is worrying. This has been a major cause of teacher\’s shortage in the country in the last four years," he said.
Mr Longoiboni noted that at least four to ten teachers die in most districts countrywide every month due to the infection adding that there was urgent need to look into ways of reversing the trend.
He said that TSC had mounted an aggressive awareness campaign to contain infection levels and to address behavior change, stigma and positive living for those affected.
"This function has been institutionalized through the establishment of the TSC Aids control Unit whose main aim is to deepen understanding of HIV Aids and its impact on the teaching service," he said.
The secretary was speaking at Ol-Joro-Orok Township during the Nyandarua West district Education day where he was the chief guest.
Ol-Kalou Member of Parliament Erastus Mureithi who accompanied him urged the education ministry to withdraw a circular denying bursary funds to students in boarding schools.
"The circular was established in bad faith and that is why we want it withdrawn. The ministry should therefore reconsider its move since most students dropping out of school due to lack of school fees," he stated.
He also took issue with the government for failing to employ enough teachers.
"This state of affairs is affecting the standard of education in the country," Mr Mureithi said.
Mr Mureithi said that his constituency had a shortage of more that one thousand teachers.
"How does the government expect schools to perform well and yet it is not employing teachers?" he posed. "We want this issue addressed once and for all."
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