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{
    "id": 297922,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/297922/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 285,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Obure",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Public Works",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 118,
        "legal_name": "Christopher Mogere Obure",
        "slug": "christopher-obure"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me an opportunity to make a contribution on this Bill. This is a very important Bill intended to manage the affairs of the teaching profession which has a very strong bearing on the quality of our education. With the introduction of this Bill in Parliament, we are definitely, as a country, moving in the right direction. The new TSC will be an independent body; a body corporate with full independence. This is a big move that will see the new TSC independent. It will be allowed to function independently from the Ministry. I am looking at a situation where the Ministry of Education will solely be responsible for initiating policy in matters of education so that their involvement in the staffing of teachers and management of teachers will be minimal. There has been a lot of duplication of efforts and a lot of interference by the Ministry for Education in the management of our schools, ignoring the fact that the TSC exists. I also notice that in this Bill, the interest of the child will be uppermost, and that this Commission will be expected to observe the national values and the national principles on which we are all agreed on as a nation and that the interests of the children in particular will be taken into consideration at all times throughout all the actions that they are likely to initiate. We hope that matters relating to staffing, promotion, discipline and all that will be dealt with independently by this Commission after all the processes have been exhausted. One of the major functions of this Commission would be to ensure that we all comply with the prescribed teaching standards and that this body will also be involved in monitoring the conduct and performance of the teaching staff. This is a very major function. We hope that in carrying out these functions, the TSC will be objective and that they will be independent as they perform these functions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, one of the areas that has not been performing very well is disciplining of teachers. I know that in certain cases, they have been hasty. I believe that the interest of the people to have them disciplined has not been taken into consideration fully. I am also aware that, as much as we want teachers to conduct themselves properly and not involve themselves in matters relating to sexual offences, the teachers are completely above board in their conduct. We must discourage dealings between teachers and their pupils in every form. We must protect that at every cost. But I also feel that, in certain instances, the teacher has not been accorded sufficient protection. Nobody has listened to him. Disciplinary action has been taken against teachers without listening to them. Teachers have been removed from the teachers register without due consideration being given to their feelings or whether they were actually involved or not. I urge the new Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to ensure that teachers are accorded proper avenues to defend themselves. Investigations should be conducted exhaustively before such severe action such as the removal of a teacher’s name from the teacher’s register is taken."
}