Parents Urged to Prepare for School Reopening Amid Looming Teachers' Strike

The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) has urged parents to ensure their children are ready for the reopening of schools on Monday, August 26.

In a statement released on Sunday, August 25, KESSHA Chairman Willie Kuria assured parents that the welfare of students will be protected, even as the education sector faces the possibility of a teachers' strike.

"Regarding the potential teachers' strike due to the ongoing labor dispute between teachers' unions and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), KESSHA, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the TSC, assures all parents and students across the country that their well-being will be prioritized while in school. Parents are, therefore, advised to prepare their children for the start of the third term, beginning August 26, 2024," Kuria stated.

This assurance comes after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) decided to call off its planned nationwide strike, which was initially set to start on Monday, August 26.

KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu announced that the union had engaged in discussions with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), leading to the withdrawal of the strike notice. "We reached an agreement as the TSC engaged with us.

The strike notice, which was to expire at midnight on Sunday, has been withdrawn by the National Executive Council," Oyuu explained.

However, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) maintained that their planned strike would proceed as scheduled, arguing that the TSC had not fully addressed all their demands.

"The council has voted to continue with the strike," stated KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori on Sunday.