KENYA: A Catholic Nun and Brother Honoured for Teaching Excellence
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
On the occasion to mark the annual World Teachers’ Day (WTD) on October 5, a Catholic nun and brother were among the 31 teachers honored by their employer Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of Kenya for exemplary role in ensuring quality education in the country.
“This award we were given for excellence in performance came to me as a surprise. I did not even know TSC would celebrate World Teachers Day, and since ranking of schools had been stopped in the country I didn’t just expect it,” Sr. Anne Onyancha who heads St. Peter’s Mumias Boys Boarding Primary School in the Catholic Diocese of Kakamega shared her amazement with AMECEA online in an interview Thursday, October 7.
Some days prior to this special day to recognize teachers across the globe, Sr. Onyancha whose school was number three nationwide in the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) national examination said, “I received a call from TSC asking me about the school and some of the activities we were doing.”
Narrating about her performance in the previous school she headed in Busia County before the transferred to Kakamega County, Sr. Onyancha a member of the Sisters of Mary of Kakamega (SMK) disclosed that the school (St. Catherine Nangina Girls Primary) topped the county for 12 consecutive years in KCPE.
Following the good results for 2020 KCPE candidates with two of the pupils among the top 20 candidates in the nation, the Kenyan nun acknowledged “It has been a great motivation not only to staff in the school but also to pupils, parents, board members and other stakeholders.”
She promised to work extra hard in collaboration with all the stakeholders since they already have a strategy to follow and guide them to maintain the academic performance and do better.
“I encourage all teachers to be committed to their work and be keen to reach out to each and every child individually for they are not equal in their way of understanding,” Sr. Onyancha said encouraging other teaching to serve dedicatedly for the good of the children and the society.
On his part, Br. Peter Mokaya Tabichi the 2019 global teacher prize winner noted that TSC appreciated and motivated teachers on WTD based on what they had achieved or done “Either in academics, digital involvements, addressing Covid-19 issues to ensure children kept on learning amidst the pandemic or in any other way teachers showed commitment and excelled.”
According to Br. Tabichi a member of the Order of Saint. Francis (OST) who has been honoured several times both globally and nationally for his outstanding work disclosed to AMECEA Online during the Thursday interview that TSC has appreciated his continued dedication to serve the students and entire society.
“Currently I am ensuring there is improved infrastructure in the school, that there is water and I have also partnered with other organizations to carry out some projects,” the Maths and Physics teacher at Keriko Mixed Day School, Pwani in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Nakuru explained his participation that might have led to the award.
The Franciscan brother added that he is also using the 10 Million Kenya Shillings (US$100,000/=) he was awarded by the Head of State President Uhuru Kenyatta to constract two modern science laboratories and three classrooms.
Additionally Br. Tabichi underscored, “The school has introduced computer course to students which is quite rare in a local day school and this is after we received computer donations from Safaricom (telecommunications providers) and ministry of education of Netherlands.”
He further encouraged all teachers to be “ready to work with others, be flexible and ready to learn.” Besides, “Teachers need to work extra mile for the sake of the students by doing beyond the ordinary of teaching in class.”
The global teacher revealed that the number of students at Keriko Mixed Day School where he teaches has tripled since he joined the school in 2016 when they were 200 students and currently about 700.
