The AI-Powered Teacher Competency Assessment Tool (TCAT) is a digital system designed to support teacher reflection, professional growth, and improved classroom practice in low-resource education systems. Teachers play a critical role in shaping how young people learn, think, and engage with technology, yet many educators lack access to structured, actionable feedback on their instructional practice. 

TCAT uses AI-assisted analysis to generate structured professional feedback based on teachers’ responses to competency-based assessments aligned with national and international teaching standards, including the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) standards, the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, and the Global Framework of Professional Teaching Standards. 

Teachers complete guided assessments through a digital interface, after which the system generates feedback reports highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and practical development recommendations. The system is designed as a reflective support tool, not for ranking or evaluation, enabling teachers to strengthen their practice in context. 

The tool is currently being tested within Schoolinka’s professional learning community of over 10,000 educators. Insights from teacher responses are used to continuously refine both the system and broader teacher development programs. TCAT explores how responsible AI can support educators and contribute to more effective, inclusive, and supportive learning environments for young people. 

Concept and development: Oluwaseun Kayode and the Schoolinka Team  
AI system development and prompt architecture: Schoolinka technical team  
Pedagogical frameworks informed by: Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Professional Standards for Nigerian Teachers, the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, and the UNESCO Global Framework of Professional Teaching Standards. 

Oluwaseun Kayode (NG) is a leading voice on teacher quality in Africa and Founder of Schoolinka, a digital platform that has reached over 10,000 educators through online courses, live masterclasses, and direct job placements with partner schools. As a Teach For Nigeria Fellow, he taught in an underserved Ogun State school and witnessed poor teaching quality firsthand. That experience became the foundation for everything Schoolinka is building. With eight years at the intersection of education and youth development, Oluwaseun has led programs at Peace First across 100+ countries and spoken twice at the Teach For All Global Conference. He is a Mandela Washington Fellow, Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellow, Westerwelle Fellow, and UNLEASH Global Talent. 

Education is a fundamental human need: not a luxury, nor an accessory to development, but one of its foundations. In many of the countries where this project operates, the challenge is not simply access to schooling, but the quality of the teaching. Teachers, often underqualified, under-supported, and working under intense structural pressure, are the decisive variable. When teachers lack the tools and support they need, children are left behind. 
 
This project applies AI to the assessment and support of teacher competencies in a structured and ongoing way, not as a form of surveillance, but as a scalable instrument of professional development. The jury regarded this distinction as crucial. The recognition that education quality is a systemic issue requiring honest and granular feedback loops reflects a level of maturity beyond many sector interventions. The project also demonstrated awareness of data sensitivity in school environments and presented a thoughtful framework for engagement with local governments and education institutions. 
 
We noted that this project is at an earlier stage of development than the Grand Prize winners. Nevertheless, its awareness is genuine, its ambition is appropriately scaled, and its potential impact is considerable. The jury was pleased to recognize it with distinction and expresses confidence in the team’s capacity to grow into the full scale of its vision.