Varsity strike: Calls for semester extension grow louder
Elimu Bora Working Group members Esther Wanjiru (left), David Karani (centre) and Maxwell Magawi address journalists at the Kenya Human Rights Commission offices in Nairobi on November 17, 2024, where they called on the government to address lecturers' demands to end the ongoing strike.
A lobby group wants the current university semester extended to cover for the time lost during the lecturers' strike. The job boycott has entered its fourth week with little hope of ending soon.
The Elimu Bora Working Group, which is a network of civil society organisations working to promote the right to Education in Kenya, on Sunday, said parents and students had incurred heavy losses due to the job boycott.
The industrial action, which resumed on October 29, after being called off for a month, has disrupted learning and operations across public universities, with students idling on campuses for weeks.
In the dispute, the University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) is demanding full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, a deal the union struck with the Inter-Public Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum in September.
Elimu Bora Working Group asked the government to extend the learning period in the current semester to cover the lost time, even as it continues to engage with lecturers to end the strike.
“Now that we have lost four weeks, we have to find a way of making up for the four weeks. We have to create time for this particular semester to be treated as a standard semester. We cannot just work with the timeline that has been set strictly,” Maxwell Magawi, who is the Executive Director for the Student’s Caucus said.
“To remedy this situation, we are seeing a situation where it will be necessary to readjust the academic calendar.”
They fear that the prolonged strike could hurt students in terms of the quality of education, which is mostly measured by the amount of time a student spends on coursework.
“The right to education extends to the right to get quality education. Let’s not just have people being in learning institutions for the sake of it. It should have a direct impact on their level of development.”
Ms Esther Wanjiru, who is a member of the group, stated that the strike could have a negative effect on students who are supposed to complete their university studies this semester.
Motivation
“Idle time in universities is detrimental to students, impacting their morale, motivation, and sense of purpose. We believe Kenya's young people deserve an uninterrupted learning environment where they can fully engage in their studies and work toward their future aspirations without uncertainty,” Ms Wanjiru said.
The government has been asked to prioritise reaching an honest and timely resolution with the lecturers to allow students to go back to classes.
“We urge all stakeholders to work together to resolve this crisis for the sake of Kenya’s young generation and to uphold the standard of education we all aspire to,” David Karani who is a member of the group said.
Mr Magawi hinted that the organisation was considering moving to court to address the matter if the strike continues as it violates the constitutional right of quality education.
“We may begin to turn around the idea of jurisprudential engagement around quality education and how the lecturers' strike has impacted the lives of learners at a direct level, what kind of losses have they suffered and what are the practical legal remedies that can be explored.”
While responding to Nation.Africa on the prolonged strike and the avenues that the government is exploring to break the stalemate, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said that the government offered seven to 10 percent increments within Sh4.3 billion in their talks, which would see the lowest earners awarded the higher percentage.
Missed classes
“Yes, a lecturers' strike is a serious issue, and it does impact our academic institutions, students, and lecturers deeply. Strikes lead to missed classes and disrupted schedules, and we know this can be especially challenging for students in hands-on, practical courses,” Mr Mwaura said.
“More than anything, I understand the stress and anxiety this situation can create for students and families who have been working so hard to keep up with their academic goals. As a government, we take these impacts very seriously, and we are committed to safeguarding the quality and continuity of education across Kenya.”
He stated that learning was ongoing in some universities where staff had not joined the strike and that online learning was ongoing, hence allowing students to continue their courses and maintain momentum.
“We are working around the clock to resolve this strike through constructive dialogue and mutual understanding with our academic staff. Our goal is to get all universities back on track while also ensuring that our policies and solutions strengthen the sector for the long term. We are fully committed to securing a resolution that both supports our educators and keeps students’ futures safe and on schedule. I am confident we’ll emerge stronger and more unified."
In the case of Moi University where the staff have been on strike for the better part of the year, the Government Spokesperson claimed that the union failed to honour the initial agreement by demanding the settlement of pending bills.
“The unions indicated that they would return to work upon payment of full salaries for September 2024. That was done. Then they shifted goalposts and demanded for payment of unverified pending bills of Sh8.6 billion immediately. This was not possible, hence, the stalemate.”
