Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Ms Nancy Macharia has said the commission has developed quality standards to define and support the professional development of teachers and instructional ,leaders in all schools and tertiary colleges in line with global trends in Teacher Professional Development (TPD).
“”The quality standards are meant to provide consistent and supportive framework for teachers to ensure performance is measured against competency indicators for improved outcomes,” said Ms Macharia in a speech read by `Assistant Deputy Director at TSC Mr Charles Kimwomi during a training workshop for secondary school and science teachers in Embu..
The training on inquiry based learning was facilitated by the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) and brought together 102 secondary school mathematics and science teachers drawn from Nakuru, Kajiado, Tharaka Nithi and Nyeri Counties.
Ms Macharia said the rapidly changing world presupposed that education must adopt accordingly if children are to be adequately prepared to effectively live and work in it.
“This cannot happen without addressing teacher capacities and providing them with opportunities to update their knowledge, skills and attitudes,” she said.
Ms Macharia exuded confidence that the teachers after training would demonstrate understanding of the broad 21st century student’s outcomes and support systems by the end of the five day course.
“You are expected to provide learners with a variety of information resources and technological tools to mediate learning,” she told the teachers.
“Back in your schools, you should be able to organize content into an effective learning and teaching progression,” said Ms Macharia.
She urged experienced teachers who had undergone refresher courses such as the one in Embu to mentor new entrants in the profession. ‘We count on you to revolutionize learning in our schools,” she said.
Ms. Macharia said the rapid transformation in the world today was courtesy of Science, Technology and innovation whose building blocks were basic science and mathematics.