Teachers In Need - TIN

27/09/2026

RICA Rhyme (Colour Colour)
It can enable learners master primary colours.

23/09/2026

Can teachers Effectively Teach Competencies They Have Not Mastered?

At the 6th African Curriculum Association Conference in Dar es Salaam, I shared practice based evidence from teacher assessments, training sessions, classroom observations and follow up activities conducted by Teachers In Need in selected settings in Uganda and Tanzania.

The evidence revealed important professional development needs in foundational reading and competence based teaching. Some teachers experienced difficulties in teaching sound patterns, blending and segmentation, supporting struggling readers, promoting active learner participation, applying different methodologies and assessing learners’ understanding.

These findings are not intended to blame or judge teachers. Instead, they raise an important question: Are education systems giving teachers sufficient practical preparation and continuous support to master and apply the competencies expected of their learners?

Teacher development should go beyond qualifications and one time workshops. We recommend a continuous professional development cycle:

Assess, Identify Needs, Train, Apply, Support, Observe & Reassess

We must also recognise that the way learners are assessed influences the way teachers teach. When examinations mainly reward memorisation, classroom teaching is likely to concentrate on recalling information. Governments, curriculum agencies, examination bodies and teacher training institutions must work together to align the curriculum, teacher development and assessment.

Assessments should encourage learners to demonstrate understanding, application, reasoning, creativity and problem solving not merely the ability to remember information & answer questions.

Governments and other education stakeholders should invest in practical teacher development, classroom mentorship, appropriate teaching and learning resources, and continuous follow-up.

If Africa wants competent learners, education systems must continuously assess, develop and support competent teachers.

*Tr. Peter Okware*
*Teachers In Need | RICA Approach*

23/09/2026

How We Assess Influences How We Teach

22/09/2026

Books That Give Children a Reason to Dream

We are grateful that RICA books are supporting DEAR Day (Drop Everything And Read) and helping children develop a love for reading.

One book that particularly gave us confidence is From Dustbin to Destiny—an inspirational story that speaks directly to children, especially those growing up in underprivileged circumstances. It reminds them that where they start in life does not have to determine where they end up.

Through reading, children should not only learn words; they should also discover possibilities, build confidence and develop the courage to dream big.

Believe. Keep going. Never give up. Your beginning does not define your destiny.

Special appreciation to the Rotary Club of Katende for purchasing RICA books for their DEAR Day and investing in a generation of readers and dreamers.

14/09/2026

RICA

05/09/2026

05/09/2026

The Blackboard Is No Longer Enough: Are We Preparing Learners to Solve Society’s Problems?

During our recent visit to Tanzania (August 2026), we had the privilege of working and interacting with a number of schools from ECD and primary to secondary level in Dar ES Salaam and Manyara region.

One lesson continued to stand out: the way our learners experience the world is changing, and the way we teach must also change.

Today, the blackboard is competing with phones, videos, social media, technology and many other sources of information for learners’ attention. If we want learners not only to listen, but to understand, remember and apply what they learn, we need to embrace blended teaching using different teaching methods, practical experiences, learning resources and appropriate technology.

But we also need to rethink the purpose of education.

Education should not only prepare learners to answer questions whose answers are already known. It should prepare them to ask questions, think critically, solve problems and find solutions to the challenges facing their communities.

As educators, perhaps we should not only ask: “Did our learners pass?”

We should also ask:
“Can they use what they have learned to solve real-life problems?”

Let’s Meet in Dar es Salaam
I Tr. Peter Okware shall be at the 6th Continental African Curriculum Association (ACA) Conference, 22nd–25th September 2026, at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania representing Teachers In Need-TIN and I will present.

Let’s meet, share experiences and discuss how we can improve African education how we teach, how our learners learn, and how education can better prepare the next generation to find solutions to Africa’s challenges.

Education should not only produce learners who know the right answers; it should develop people capable of finding solutions.

02/09/2026

RICA Sound a-z Rhymes
Its very easy to teach learners how to read using contextualized approaches. RICA approach was designed to support an African child learn how to read organically.

13/08/2026

RICA Workshop In Manyara Tanzania.
The main of objective of the RICA approach is to simplify reading under our campaign of kick illiteracy out of Africa and currently we are in Manyara Tanzania for 4 days.

11/08/2026

If Learners Can't Read They Can't Learn