The County Department of Education on Monday conducted a performance appraisal meeting with Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) coordinators.

The meeting was graced by the Chief Officer for Education (CO), Eunice Suter.
Speaking during the meeting, CO Suter said that although performance appraisal is often misunderstood, it is extremely important.

“Performance appraisal is not a fault-finding exercise. It is a tool for growth, accountability, and continuous improvement,” she said. She noted that the exercise is equally important in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE), which lays the foundation in the early years and ultimately determines a child’s lifelong learning journey.

“For that reason, the performance of our ECDE teachers, caregivers, and institutions must be guided, supported, and fairly assessed,” she added.

CO Suter further noted that performance appraisal helps to clarify roles and expectations, recognize good performance and innovation, identify gaps in skills, resources, and support, and inform professional development and capacity building.

She emphasized that ECDE coordinators play a central role in the process through mentoring, coaching, and facilitating improvement.

The CO also observed that once teachers understand that appraisals are intended to help them improve their practice—including classroom management, learner engagement, record-keeping, and the use of play-based approaches—they are more likely to embrace the process.

“I also encourage you to remember the context in which our ECDE teachers work. Many face challenges such as limited resources, high enrolment, and diverse learner needs. Performance appraisal should therefore go hand in hand with support mechanisms such as training, mentorship, follow-up visits, and constructive feedback,” she said.

A team from the Human Resource Department, led by its Director, Nathan Koech, took staff through the appraisal process and outlined what it entails.

Speaking at the meeting, Director for Education, Peter Ruto, urged officers to use appraisal outcomes not just to rate performance, but to plan targeted in-service training, strengthen supervision and support, share best practices among centres, and improve overall service delivery in ECDE.

“The quality of ECDE in our counties depends greatly on how well we guide and support those on the ground. If we get performance appraisal right, we strengthen accountability, professionalism, and motivation within our ECDE workforce,” he said.

He further challenged ECDE coordinators to champion a culture of continuous improvement, integrity, and collaboration, emphasizing the need to use appraisal as a tool that uplifts teachers and improves learning outcomes for children.

Deputy Director for Culture, Paul Sambu, was also in attendance.