Education sector in crisis as teachers strike

A major crisis faced Kenya's education sector on Monday after the country's estimated 600,000 teachers staged a nationwide strike over salary payments. The strike follows a prolonged stalemate between the government and teachers. The latter accuse the government of reneging on its promise to increase their pay. The government, which has declared the strike illegal, has only implemented part of the deal - agreed upon in 1997 - and says it had no money to complete the programme. Radio reports on Monday indicated that the situation was calm as teachers and pupils failed to report to school in many parts of the country. Journalists carrying out spot checks in schools told IRIN that pupils in government primary and secondary schools had been sent home. "We checked a number of schools in Nairobi. We found pupils had been sent home. In fact all government schools are closed, and the strike is indefinite," a journalist told IRIN on Monday. Other reports indicated that teachers were holding demonstrations in some parts of the country including Kisumu in the west. Parents and pupils interviewed by various media organisations have expressed fear that the teachers' strike would gravely affect the performance of candidates during crucial national examinations due to begin in October. Officials at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) headquarters, which called the nationwide strike, were unavailable for comment. Prior to the strike, Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi dismissed the teachers' demand as "unsustainable". The striking teachers have however vowed not to return to work until their demands are met. The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), Kenya's umbrella trade union body, has expressed support for the teachers and threatened to call a nationwide strike within 14 days unless the government honours its pledge to increase salaries, the 'East African Standard' newspaper reported on Monday. COTU said the government was under obligation to fulfil the deal "which was negotiated though an internationally recognised process".