This archive report was first published on 25 August 2019.
As of next term, teacher training college tutors will use the online Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development Tool (TPAD), a system already in place in primary and secondary schools.
The Teachers Service Commission has revised TPAD to include a specific portal for college tutors, allowing for more targeted support and facilitation.
According to TSC chief executive officer Nancy Macharia, the commission aims to enhance knowledge of subject content, improve professional knowledge, skills, and values among teachers through continuous institutional-based Teacher Professional Development.
Ms Macharia emphasized the importance of updating skills, attitudes, and approaches in the development of new teaching techniques, research, and emerging issues, as well as adapting and applying new strategies to manage changes in the educational curriculum.
As part of its efforts to strengthen professionalism in the teaching service, the commission has designed modular courses for teachers and instructional leaders.
Ms Macharia also highlighted the need for effective teaching practices, citing rampant tutor absenteeism, missing lessons, and irrelevant content as concerns that need to be addressed.
She asked college tutors to reflect on their teaching practices, questioning whether they were prioritizing their students' education or engaging in private commitments, such as moonlighting.
The commission plans to have one performance contract signed by the Ministry of Education for the 2019-2020 period.
