The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has opened nominations for the 2026 World Teachers’ Day Awards, giving teachers and school administrators until August 26 to submit their entries.
The awards are aimed at recognising teachers and education administrators who have made a notable contribution to teaching, shown innovation or demonstrated leadership in their schools and communities.
According to TSC, nominations will be judged based on set criteria for each award category.
This year’s awards cover several areas, including Lifetime Achievement, Early Years Educator, Early Career Educator, Sustainable Development Educator and School Leadership Excellence.
Other categories include Inclusive Educator, Child Protection Champion, Co-curricular and Talent Development, Teacher Mentor, and Innovation and ICT Integration in Teaching.
TSC will also recognise teachers under the Most Resilient Teacher, National Honours and International Recognition categories.
Who can nominate?
Teachers are allowed to nominate themselves, while colleagues and heads of institutions can also nominate teachers.
However, there are limits on the number of nominations that can be submitted.
A teacher can make self-nominations in a maximum of two categories, while peer and institutional nominations can cover up to two teachers.
TSC said nominees will be required to provide evidence of their work, achievements and the impact they have made during the period covered by the respective award.
The commission will consider factors such as contribution to teaching and learning, measurable impact, innovation, inclusivity and how well the nominee responds to the needs of learners.
The possibility of the nominee’s work being adopted or replicated in other schools will also be considered.
How the selection will be done
After the nominations are submitted, TSC will first check whether applicants meet the eligibility requirements.
The nominations will then be reviewed by selection panels at the sub-county, county and regional levels.
At the sub-county and county levels, the panels will identify the top three nominees in each category.
Regional panels will select five nominees before forwarding the best three for consideration at the national level.
TSC has set 11pm on August 26, 2026, as the deadline for nominations.
The final winners will be recognised during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations on October 5.
The awards come as TSC continues to recognise teachers for their contribution to the education sector, with the commission also having invited nominations earlier this year for the inaugural Wajibika Award, which targets 300 teachers across the country.