The NGO Council of Kenya has praised the critical role played by teachers in the national leadership saying in 60 years the education sector had produced two presidents. Speaking on the occasion of World Teachers' Day marked on October 5th 2022, council chairman Stephen Kipchumba Cheboi said Kenya had had the rare honour of being led by former teachers.
In 1978 after the death of founding father President Jomo Kenyatta, former teacher and vice president Daniel arap Moi succeeded. Moi who died February 2020 was a former teacher in the 1950's and 1960's before joining politics.
Cheboi noted that it had taken teachers 44 years to put one of their own in state state President William Ruto who taught chemistry in a secondary school during his early formative years in the 1980's. Dr. Ruto won the August 9 2022 presidential election to become Kenya's 5th president in 60 years of independence.
Cheboi paid tribute to teachers for being the "torch of the nation" whose high moral standards and ethics goes a long way in moulding young lives to become law abiding useful citizens.
He said education plays a fundamental role as a tool for expanding civilization, empowerment, transformation and development.
He noted that teachers provide the only platform to mould and produce intellectuals who run governments, become policy makers, scholars, scientists and researchers.
"Teachers work continuously to keep on inventing, creating and sourcing unique but realistic ways through which education can solve human and world challenges," he said. This is a systematic process which keeps on changing depending on latest trends and global concerns that needs immediate action, he said.
He said to achieve any educational dream and a prosperous country, the backbone of education policies and curriculum implementation should stop with the teacher.
He or she sits at the tail end of the table but drives home the final desire of quality education which can fully transform a learner to be an all-round individual.
Teaching is a noble profession is educating future leaders as innovators, entrepreneurs and role models among others, across the world. Interestingly, Teachers have done tremendous work in moulding learners to soar and achieve higher levels of recognition from their subjects and any form of appreciation beyond their areas of jurisdiction. Individual stories and experiences of teachers light up the engagements to inform, educate and change perceptions.
"As the World mark this year's Teachers Day 5th October 2022 the National Council of NGOs-Kenya wish all the Teachers and education fraternity all the best, The Council of NGOs and all its Members NGOs across the country is committed to working in supporting the education sector in our country , we highly value the exemplary characteristics and the value of a teacher as a mentor of lives in our Kenyan society and the entire globe" said Cheboi.
