Irony of Christian Religious Education teachers going on strike
News of teachers handling the Christian Religious Education (CRE) subject downing their tools has caused an online frenzy with a section of Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) terming it as ironic.
The striking teachers disrupted the marking of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers forcing education bosses to scramble to avert the crisis that could derail the release of the results.
While boycotting the marking of the CRE paper one, the teachers took issues with a number of things, including working conditions at KCSE marking centres, poor pay, and working for long and odd hours.
The irony of the matter, according to those who commented, is that CRE teachers are known for teaching values including honesty, patience, perseverance, and co-existence.
Yet the teachers appeared to be practicing exactly the opposite.
Even when teachers are on their regular strikes you'd expect CRE teachers not to join in. But this one it's them alone? Ha! Hapa hatuna nchi. CRE teachers on strike? Tumebaki na nchi kweli?
— Tom Bwana (@TomBwana) January 11, 2023
“We just want them to pay us well keeping in mind the hard economic times in the country. We wake up at 4 am and sleep at 10 pm,” one examiner told Nairobi News.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu led a team of senior officials to mediate the crisis.
Knec chairman Julius Nyabundi said in a statement that the Chief Center Examiner had been replaced ‘as a compromise to ensure a smooth progress of the marking exercise.’
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