- Serving and retired teachers can compete for recognition across teaching, leadership, innovation and learner-support categories.
- The awards will recognise exceptional contributions from teachers in public, private and international learning institutions.
- Nominations close on August 26 before selection progresses through sub-county, county, regional and national levels.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has opened nominations for the 2026 World Teachers’ Day teacher awards, setting the stage for thousands of educators to be recognised for exceptional contributions to education.
Under the theme “Twawaenzi Walimu – Mashujaa Wetu,” the Commission is inviting nominations of serving and retired registered teachers who have distinguished themselves in teaching, leadership, innovation, inclusion, mentorship, child protection, talent development and other areas of the profession.
“Nominations will be accepted for registered teachers currently in service as well as retired teachers who have made demonstrable contributions to teaching and learning,” the Commission states.
Eligible teachers may come from recognised public, private and international learning institutions, including primary schools, Junior Schools, secondary/senior schools and Teacher Training Colleges.
TSC says the awards are intended to recognise teachers whose contributions go beyond the routine performance of their professional duties and produce demonstrable impact on learners, institutions and education.
“To be considered for any award category, nominees must… demonstrate contribution beyond routine performance of duty,” the Commission states.
Nominees must provide verifiable evidence of their contribution and impact. This can include institutional records, learner outcomes, testimonials, awards, reports, certificates, photographs, publications and other relevant documentation.
Teachers can be nominated in a maximum of two categories in which they have made their strongest and most relevant contributions. They must also meet the specific requirements of the categories under which they are nominated.
The Commission says the World Teachers’ Day Rewards and Recognition Framework 2026 is intended to promote excellence, innovation, inclusivity, resilience, leadership and professional commitment across education.
“The awards are intended to document and reward measurable contributions by teachers, while encouraging replication of effective practices across learning institutions,” TSC states.
From lifetime achievement to innovation
The framework provides 13 award categories covering different aspects of the teaching profession.
They include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Early Years Educator Award, Sustainable Development Educator Award, Early Career Educator Award, School Leadership Excellence Award, Inclusive Educator Award and Child Protection Champion Award.
Others are the Co-curricular and Talent Development Award, Teacher Mentor Award, Innovation and ICT Integration in Teaching Award, Most Resilient Teacher Award, National Honours Award and International Recognition Award.
For the Lifetime Achievement Award, nominees must have at least 20 years of teaching experience and demonstrate a long-term contribution to education beyond recent or isolated activities.
The Early Career Educator Award targets teachers with five years or less of teaching experience by the nomination deadline who have demonstrated exceptional promise, creativity and commitment to teaching and learning.
School administrators are also covered. The School Leadership Excellence Award recognises serving or retired heads of institutions, deputy heads and teachers who have held other administrative positions and demonstrated exceptional leadership in improving schools during the past three years.
The Innovation and ICT Integration in Teaching Award targets teachers, including ICT champions, who have demonstrated innovation through digital technologies, competency-based approaches, STEM education and other creative learner-centred strategies since 2025.
TSC will also recognise teachers who have continued making positive contributions despite significant adversity, including personal tragedy, school crises, insecurity and resource shortages, under the Most Resilient Teacher Award.
Teachers allowed to nominate themselves
The nomination process provides three routes through which educators can enter the competition: self-nomination, nomination by a peer or institutional nomination by the head of an institution.
“For self-nomination, an individual may submit a nomination in a maximum of two categories,” the Commission states.
For peer and institutional nominations, a maximum of two nominees may be submitted.
Retired teachers have not been left out of the process and are required to submit their nominations through the sub-county where they last served.
TSC has divided submissions into nine areas: Coast, North Eastern, Eastern, Nairobi, Central, Upper Rift Valley, Lower Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza.
Rift Valley has been split into Upper and Lower Rift Valley for purposes of managing submissions. Each region has been assigned a separate online nomination link.
August 26 deadline
Teachers interested in the awards have a short window to submit their nominations.
“The deadline for submissions is 26th August 2026 by 23:00 EAT (GMT+3),” TSC states.
An eligibility check will take place between August 27 and 29, followed by sub-county selection from August 30 to September 3.
County selection is scheduled for September 4 to 8, while regional selection will take place between September 9 and 10.
The national recognition stage is scheduled for September 11, when the final awardees — the best three — will be submitted for national recognition during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations.
Thousands targeted for recognition
The programme provides for thousands of award slots as successful nominees progressively move through the different stages.
At the sub-county level, the framework provides 13,728 award slots across 416 sub-counties. Another 1,551 slots are provided at county level, 495 at regional level and 297 at national level.
This gives a cumulative 16,071 award slots across the four stages. However, the figure does not represent 16,071 different teachers because successful nominees progress from one level to another.
“The total of 16,071 represents award slots across all levels. The distinct awardees at the first level will be 13,728 teachers at Sub-County level, from whom County, Regional and National awardees will be progressively selected,” the Commission explains.
TSC says teachers in the National Honours and International Recognition award categories will be recognised in addition to those included in the main award-slot structure.
Merit and evidence to determine winners
Nominations will be assessed using standardised evaluation criteria tailored to the respective award categories.
Evaluators will consider the relevance of a nominee’s contribution to teaching and learning, evidence of measurable impact, innovation and creativity, inclusivity and equity, sustainability and potential for wider adoption.
The process will also examine contributions to professional development, institutional improvement and learner outcomes, the strength of supporting documentation and alignment with national education priorities and professional standards.
“Assessment tools and scoring guides have been developed for each award category to support objective, transparent and evidence-based evaluation and selection of awardees,” TSC states.
Selection will begin at sub-county level, where panels will identify the best three nominees in each category and forward them to the county level.
County panels will similarly identify the best three per category for progression. Regional panels will recognise the best five nominees in each category, with the top three forwarded for national recognition during World Teachers’ Day celebrations.
The panels will bring together TSC and Ministry of Education officials alongside representatives of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA), Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET). Private and international schools will also be represented at county and regional levels.
Teaching service grows beyond one million registered teachers
The awards come against the backdrop of major growth in Kenya’s teaching service since TSC was established in July 1967.
The Commission says the number of registered teachers has grown from 37,000 in 1967 to more than one million, while more than 415,000 teachers were directly employed by TSC as of June 2026.
TSC was established to provide teachers with one employer and uniform terms and conditions of service before later becoming a constitutional commission under Article 237 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
The Commission says teachers have increasingly contributed to the country beyond their instructional responsibilities.
“Beyond their instructional duties, Kenyan teachers have made exceptional contributions to national development through their dedication, innovation, and service,” TSC states.
It credits teachers with mentoring generations of learners, championing educational reforms, promoting inclusion, nurturing talent and advancing innovation in teaching and learning.
“Our teachers have also distinguished themselves on regional, continental, and global platforms, demonstrating professional excellence and reaffirming the vital role of education in transforming lives and advancing sustainable development,” the Commission states.
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The awards will culminate in recognition associated with World Teachers’ Day celebrations, providing a platform for outstanding educators to be celebrated for their contribution to learners, schools and the wider education sector.
By Joseph Mambili
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