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| Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu and Other Knut Officials. |
KNUT Presses for Urgent Job Evaluation to Address Teachers’ Growing Workload
KNUT Presses for Urgent Job Evaluation to Address Teachers’ Growing Workload. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has renewed pressure on the government for the immediate undertaking of a comprehensive job evaluation for teachers, arguing that the current grading and remuneration structures no longer reflect the realities of the profession.
The union says teachers’ roles have significantly expanded over the years, yet their pay and career progression have largely remained stagnant.
According to KNUT officials, the last major job evaluation was conducted before the introduction of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, which has since transformed the workload of teachers across the country.
Educators are now required to handle continuous learner assessments, detailed record-keeping, parental engagement, mentorship, and additional administrative duties.
The union maintains that these responsibilities go far beyond traditional classroom teaching and should be formally recognised through an updated job evaluation.
The call for immediate action comes amid growing frustration among teachers who feel overworked and undercompensated, particularly those who have served in the same job groups for many years without promotion.
KNUT argues that job evaluation is a critical tool that would objectively assess teachers’ duties, skills, responsibilities, and working conditions, forming a fair basis for salary reviews and harmonised allowances.
Urban teachers have been highlighted as facing unique challenges, including high living costs, long commuting distances, overcrowded classrooms, and increased demand for learner supervision.
The union says these pressures have worsened under the government’s policy of 100 per cent transition, which has led to ballooning student numbers without a proportional increase in teaching staff and infrastructure.
KNUT further links the job evaluation demand to ongoing discussions around the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, insisting that sustainable industrial harmony in the education sector depends on addressing long-standing welfare issues.
Union leaders warn that failure to act on job evaluation could deepen dissatisfaction among teachers, lower morale, and negatively affect the quality of education delivered to learners.
While the Teachers Service Commission and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission have previously cited budgetary constraints and the need for broader public sector alignment, teachers argue that delays have persisted for too long.
They insist that education remains a critical pillar of national development and that investing in teachers’ welfare is an investment in the country’s future.
As consultations continue, education stakeholders are watching closely to see whether the government will prioritise job evaluation in upcoming policy and budget decisions.
For thousands of teachers across Kenya, the outcome will determine not only their pay but also recognition of the evolving and increasingly demanding nature of their profession.
KNUT Presses for Urgent Job Evaluation to Address Teachers’ Growing Workload