NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 – 2019 Global Teacher Award winner Peter Tabichi was among 31 staff who were awarded by Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on World Teachers’ Day marked Tuesday for exemplary performance.
Speaking during the celebrations at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in Nairobi, TSC Chairperson Jamleck Muturi said teachers are the pillars of a learner’s life and assured that the commission is doing its best to take the profession to greater heights.
“We appreciate and recognize our teachers for their selflessness. A teacher is the greatest player in the life of a learner and this pandemic has indeed shown us how important a teacher is. As a commission, we are there to ensure that teachers work in a harmonious environment where fairness and accountability is applied to the latter,” Muturi said.
He reiterated that the commission will continue taking care and supporting teachers with the necessary resources needed to protect them from contracting the virus as they continue teaching.
Commission’s CEO Nancy Macharia acknowledged that teachers have continued to offer their services selflessly amid a global pandemic and assured them of government’s support in improving their welfare.
“We should always bear in mind that the Government totally means well for our teachers. Indeed, we should bear in mind that when the COVID-19 was reported in the country last year, the TSC became the first employer to offer comprehensive medical insurance for all COVID-19 related ailments through our insurer, Minet.
This was evidence that we always believe in the well being of our teachers and their families. It is also notable that the TSC continued to pay full salaries for our teachers throughout the period that schools were closed,” she said.
Macharia further pointed out that that the process of identifying the teachers to be rewarded was done in strict conformity to the TSC Performance Recognition, Reward and Sanction Policy Framework.
All the 31 teachers were feted based on the rewards system outlined in this TSC policy which stresses on meritocracy and detailed due diligence in recognizing staff.
“I wish to state that we are not in any way suggesting that the 31 teachers are the only remarkable teachers we have in the practice. In fact, this number is just the tip of the iceberg. And we, at the TSC, will keep finding more ways to ensure all our teachers feel recognized and appreciated for their work,” she said.
Others who were honored include Kenya High School Principal Flora Mulatya, Mang’u High Principal John Munyua and their counterparts in Alliance and Kapsabet Boys William Mwangi and Maiyo Kipchumba respectively.
World Teacher’s Day honors teachers all around the world for their important role in their countries economic development by providing education that enhances people’s quality of life.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) introduced World Teachers’ Day in 1994 to draw attention to teachers’ contributions and achievements, as well as to teachers’ concerns and objectives in education.
October 5 was chosen as the international day to honor teachers since it was on that date in 1966 that a special intergovernmental meeting accepted the UNESCO recommendation on the status of teachers
The theme for the 2021 commemoration was Teachers at the heart of Education recovery.
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