Teachers are the unsung heroes of Kenya

What you need to know:

  • Moreover, this teacher attends to parents and visitors and prepares all report cards for all the children. At the time of visit, the teacher did not have a place to sleep and had his small mattress placed at the corner of one of the classrooms.
  • You will always remember that one teacher who mentored you, encouraged you, built you up. How come then, that only bad stories are told?
  • The GMR report further indicated that some teachers do not understand the curricula, but there are self-taught teachers who keep trying new approaches and re-inventing themselves to ensure that each child in their class is carried along.

The last two weeks have seen public discussions focus on teachers, especially after the education regulations released by the Education Cabinet, Prof Kaimenyi.

Despite our differing opinion on whether teachers are enough, are working or not, we all agree on one thing — teachers are important. 

If you can read this article, then there is a teacher to thank in your life. Today, more than 250,000 teachers in our schools, both private and public, are busy constructing the future. What is happening in our classrooms today is Kenya’s fate for tomorrow, and is history that will be read by future generations.

You will always remember that one teacher who mentored you, encouraged you, built you up. How come then, that only bad stories are told?

Teachers make headlines when parents storm schools after bad results, when they impregnate girls and when operating boda boda businesses instead of teaching. But how about the icons who rise up early, attend school every day to ensure that 30 per cent of children are learning?

Each year, we hear that the President is awarding Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) and others to Kenyans in recognition of their service to the nation. Does it mean that we do not have teachers who deserve such titles? Who taught President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga? Must they be nameless?

Last year, we visited a school in East Pokot which had only one teacher with 94 pupils. This teacher also doubles up as the headteacher and is forced to re-design the curriculum into “common units”, which he teaches all children in plenary, and “specialisations”, which he differentiates children at different levels, and hops from one class to another.

A PLACE TO SLEEP

Moreover, this teacher attends to parents and visitors and prepares all report cards for all the children. At the time of visit, the teacher did not have a place to sleep and had his small mattress placed at the corner of one of the classrooms. Could such a teacher be invited on Madaraka Day to receive an award?

The recent Global Monitoring Report (GMR) indicated that more than 40,000 of the 200,000 primary school teachers in Kenya miss classes every day. But someone needs to recognise that 90 per cent of teachers are in school every day, teaching every lesson and even working beyond stipulated time because they want their children to learn.

The GMR report further indicated that some teachers do not understand the curricula, but there are self-taught teachers who keep trying new approaches and re-inventing themselves to ensure that each child in their class is carried along.

These are our heroes, who need to be identified and their stories told, so that other teachers are inspired to know that for children to learn, they themselves hold the key to quality education.

The teacher is the fundamental factor in quality education. To achieve Vision 2030, we have to invest heavily in teachers.

Izel Kipruto and John Mugo are researchers with Twaweza East Africa and the Uwezo Learning Assessment ([email protected])