Economy

Bridge changes tack with plan to hire TSC teachers

sossion

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) secretary-general Wilson Sossion. PHOTO | FILE

The low-cost Bridge International has announced plans to hire government-approved teachers in a move that could force it to adjust salary offers and revise its business model.

The organisation said it will recruit 300 personnel registered under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to be posted to its academies across the country in an apparent response to critics questioning the quality of its programmes.

“We are hiring TSC registered teachers for 300 new job openings to inspire, teach and motivate thousands of pupils in 44 counties,” Bridge International announced last week.

“Applicants must have TSC registration numbers and an interest in using new technology in the classroom.”

Bridge has traditionally thrived on low-cost labour, hiring untrained teachers at a monthly pay of Sh12,000 to run its 405 private primary and nursery schools. The lowest paid TSC-registered teacher is paid Sh16,692.

Avoiding costly labour has been one of the strategies that Bridge has employed to ensure its education services remain affordable to about 100,000 students living in informal settlements.

Teachers’ unions have had long running negotiations with the government. They have been pushing for the lowest basic pay of Sh58,863.

Under guidelines proposed by the Education ministry last year, informal schools must have at least one third of TSC-approved teacher in their ranks.

The decision to hire 300 TSC teachers could mean that Bridge is finally ready to raise its cost of operations by matching the pay scale of the government.

It could also mean that the American venture has been emboldened by the high unemployment among qualified teachers — estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000 — to believe that more professional personnel would seek alternative job outlets.

Early this year, Bridge found itself in the eye of a storm after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) joined hands with civil society groups to demand it shuts down over claims that it compromises the quality of education.

READ: Teachers unions, NGOs call for closure of Bridge schools

In a joint statement read by Knut secretary-general Wilson Sosion last January, sector players accused Bridge International of failing to follow set guidelines.

Mr Sosion had earlier raised eyebrows over its rapid countrywide expansion describing it as a manifestation of the growing commercialisation and privatisation of education in Kenya.

The Bridge schools are supported by high-profile organisations, among them the World Bank Group, the Commonwealth Development Corporation and Omidyar Network.

Bridge acquires land in rural areas and slums like Mathare and Kibera where it sets up schools.

Most are makeshift, with classes built of corrugated iron sheets. Draft rules state that untrained teachers in such schools will also be required to have a minimum of C plain in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam and will have to undergo an in-service training within the first three years.