Orthodox Teachers' College of Africa

Perhaps the greatest contribution and achievement of the Saint Clement of Alexandria Philanthropic Education Centre, is the creation and establishment of the Orthodox Teachers College of Africa.

This is a tertiary teacher training institution which is recognized and registered with Kenya’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

This College is the first of its kind in Orthodox Africa.

After several years of planning and organization, it opened its doors to its first intake of students in January 2003.

The current enrolment stands at 120, and is expected to reach 150 students in the coming academic semester (2005-6).

Through this College, young East Africans are given the opportunity to study in a tertiary institution of higher learning.

The College is characterised by the following elements and principles.

Among all the private Colleges in Kenya, it offers the cheapest and most affordable official teacher training program in the area of pre-service, early, and middle childhood education. Most of our students therefore, would not have been able to become teachers had it not been for the existence of this College.
The College currently offers two programs:

Diploma in Education in Early and Middle Childhood (a two year full-time program), and
Certificate in Education in Early and Middle Childhood (a three semester full time program).

The College faculty itself drew up both curricula. They have now become the official state curricula in Kenya for all teacher training colleges offering similar pre-service early / middle childhood education programs. This is unprededented in the history of Orthodoxy in Africa.
The College students – irrespective of their background – also attend classes in Orthodox Christian Education. Our new large church, St. Mark the Evangelist, is about to be completed. It is situated in the middle of the College campus. All students will be expected to attend our daily church services there during schooldays. In this way we are witnessing Orthodox Christianity to all our students whether they are Orthodox or otherwise.

The Faculty is composed of international university graduates, in the field of education, including holders of doctoral degrees. The Rector/Principal of the College – His Eminence Metropolitan Makarios – holds an Oxford doctorate and post-doctoral qualifications from Louvain. One of our senior lecturers in the area of child linguistics is Archimandrite Johannes Eko, an experienced missionary of the Finnish Orthodox Church, and an expert in the area of language instruction. Our faculty also includes several Kenyan university graduates, who are specialists in early childhood education.