Quality teachers deliver better learning outcome

Teacher of the Year Award (TOYA) winner Elijah Ogot (right) from St. Theresa's Tartar Girls in West Pokot celebrates after he was declared this year's winner at the end of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) annual delegates conference in Mombasa. [Gideon Maundu/Standard]

If pupils are the lifeblood of schools, teachers are the organs; working tirelessly to ensure learning happens throughout the year. Parents know the quality of teachers is indicative of learning outcomes for their children. The 2018 Global Parents Survey showed that teacher quality is the most important factor for parents when choosing their child’s school, alongside location, with 45 per cent of parents surveyed selecting it as one of their top three criteria.

Teachers, and those that have taught, know what an amazing vocation it can be; to watch children flourish and learn. They will also be familiar with stresses that teaching can cause; ensuring that each and every child is receiving the quality education they deserve is no small feat. Teachers do not need a burdensome environment and constant obstacles to make this feat even harder to achieve. It’s hard enough already. Sadly, for millions of teachers across the world, the environment in which they are expected to teach is often an insurmountable barrier to actually teaching. While many teachers in wealthier countries do have access to effective training and support, the same cannot be said for teachers in developing countries.