By Azael Masese
Teachers Service Commission (TSC) might make it mandatory for secondary school principals and teachers to participate in a national award exercise.
TSC Director of Teacher Management Mary Rotich said the scheme is aimed at enhancing competitiveness and quality of the process and eventually serve a performance management tool.
Subsequently, the eventual winner is awarded the highest marks and possibly promoted to a higher job grade that comes with a pay hike.
TSC Chairperson, Dr Lydia Nzomo noted that the award system has the potential of transforming the teaching profession in the country.
“This is a way of assessing and re-engineering the education system and will be strengthened from the school level,” she stated.
Winners of the award, she said are resources that can be harnessed for all institutions and their respective schools be made centres of excellence.
Under the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, eight regions pick and present a candidate for consideration for the national award.
These are Principal of the year Award (POYA), Teacher of the Year Award (TOYA) and Innovative Teacher of the Year Award (itoya).
It coincides with the KESSHA Annual Conference, which is held every June at the Wild Waters Centre, Mombasa.
“The technical team overseeing the process recommends that it is institutionalised and candidates participate as part of the performance management tools,” she said.
Rotich said that since the process is optional, some schools do not field candidates in the respective fields, hence not able to get the best.
“At some level, the entrants might not have competed against the best, but for it to be competitive, we recommend that it be institutionalised,” she observed.
In 2018, seven regions presented candidates for the awards except the North Eastern.
TSC took over the process in 2016 and seeks to use it to leverage on it to improve the quality of education offered in secondary schools.
She noted: “Our objective is to recognise and reward candidates who have demonstrated ability and exemplary performance in institutional management and curriculum delivery.”
The finalists, according to Rotich, were assessed through a national assessment tool which outlines the guidelines and areas of assessment.
It also took into account the appraisal reports for performance contracting (PC) for head Teachers, heads of institutions and the teacher Performance and Appraisal and Development (TPAD) among other parameters.
The finalists had undergone a rigorous process from school level, Sub County, County, Regional and culminating to the National level.
Besides, the technical team recommends that the itoya, the youngest award, be expanded to include teachers outside the target subjects which are Mathematics and Sciences.
Those targeted are ones who have demonstrated the ability to integrate the use of ICT in teaching the current target subjects.
During the 2018 event, James Okoyo, the Ramba Boys High School principal, Nyanza region, was declared the POYA winner.
“It is now a bigger challenge because I am supposed to demonstrate that winning the award was not coincidental,” Okoyo told Education News.
Okoyo, who teaches Mathematics and Physics promised to endeavour to improve the quality of education in his school and also work with other principals and education stakeholders in the neighbouring institutions.
Florence Ngarari of Pangani Girls’ in Nairobi region was the second best followed by Jedida Mwangi of Tumutumu Girls’ in third position, Central region.
Besides winning individual awards, they also won textbooks worth thousands of shillings to improve their school libraries courtesy of Longhorn Publishers and Kenya Literature Bureau.
Elijah Ogoti, a Kiswahili and History and Government teacher at St Theresa’s Tartar Girls’ School in West Pokot County won the Teacher of the Year Award (TOYA).
An excited Ogoti said winning the national award demonstrates the exemplary performance he registers hence inspiring others to emulate the feat.
“I am not only going to be a role model in my school but also the surrounding schools”, he added.
Erick Ademba a Chemistry teacher at Asumbi Girls’, Homa Bay County was the second best while Susan Waiyaki was third.
Wayaki is a Mathematics and Geography teacher at Heni Secondary, Nyandarua County.
In the itoya category, Maxwell Kayesi of Karuri High School, Kiambu County was declared the best followed by Damaris Mwende of Mbooni Boys, Eastern region. Fred Bongu of Coast Girls’ emerged third best.
The seven itoya finalists were awarded each with a laptop by E-Kitabu. The overall winner was awarded Sh100, 000 and the second went home with Sh75, 000 while the third got Sh50, 000.
