Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission has called a meeting with all teacher trade unions for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

TSC boss Nancy Macharia said the talks will be held Tuesday at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Secretary-General, Akelo Misori, confirmed attendance of the meeting, saying the agenda is the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Misori had earlier on written to the Commission’s CEO expressing concerns over the delay in finalizing talks on a new CBA, which was planned to be signed before July 2021.

The new Kenya National Union of Teachers, Secretary General Collins Oyuu also said they had received an invite from the TSC, to discuss teachers’ matters.

TSC had made a proposal to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to have a basic salary increment of between 16 percent and 32 percent; with classroom teachers getting the higher perks.

If the TSC proposals are adopted, the 16 percent rise in basic pay should be for teachers in administrative grades (C4 to D5) who reaped big from the 2016-2021 CBA. Classroom teachers in lower grades (B5 to C3) are to be awarded an increment of 30 percent.

Early this month, SRC chairperson Lyn Mengich issued a statement indicating that they were still on with the CBA negotiation process and that the commission was looking into submissions made by the TSC regarding teachers’ proposals on salary review.

The commission had pledged to communicate by June 20.

The government of Namibia has restated its unwavering commitment to the country’s education sector.

The country’s Higher education minister, Itah Kandjii-Murangi said that although a lot needs to be done to improve student funding, educating the Namibian child remains a top priority of the government.

She said this at Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) graduation, which saw more than 2 400 students being conferred various degrees.

She added that many of the graduates are beneficiaries of the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), a fund that uplifts the lives of thousands of students annually.

Kandjii-Murangi stated that though the country is experiencing a workforce and skills shortage in several critical sectors, NUST has proven to be at the forefront of responding to Namibia’s human capital demands.

The 2019 Namibian Labour Market Outlook Report states that there is a clear necessity for individuals in the sectors of accounting, computer professionals, architecture, engineering and journalism.

The vice chancellor of NUST, Erold Naomab, said the occasion marks an end to a turbulent journey for graduates, adding the occasion carries significant national interest and impact.

He added that Namibia is well on course to advance the human-centric convergence of virtual and physical environments, and the emergence of society 5.0 to unlock the future potential of jobs and the creation of employment.

About 35% of the graduates are in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Naomab said graduation is also particularly significant to the institution’s mandate as a technological university because it illustrates that research, science, and technology and innovation continue to take the centre stage.

About 60% of the 91 master’s degrees have been conferred in the STEM fields for the 2020 academic year.

The Federal Government has approved the takeover of the financing of the National Library project by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFUND).

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, made this known in Abuja while addressing a delegation from the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) led by its President, Professor Innocent Ekoja, who paid a working visit to the Ministry.

Echono said the move became necessary as over N50 billion was needed to complete the project.

According to Echono, the move was aimed at repositioning library services in the education sector for effective delivery, recalling that work on the National Library had been stalled for years due to inadequate funding and efforts to get the private sector to complete the project had not yielded any results.

While responding, President of the Association, Innocent Ekoja, commended the Federal government, saying that the completion of the National library would bring honour and pride to all Nigerian librarians.

Ekoja said that it would also provide the much needed reservoir for Nigerian researchers, students and the generality of the reading public.

Highlights of the one-day working visit included the investiture of the Service Award on the Permanent Secretary, the highest honour ever bestowed on a non-librarian by the Association.

Ekoja said that the investiture on the Permanent Secretary was the seventh by the association in the last 40 years.