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UAE teachers are invited to apply for the $1 million prize
Dubai, Nov 25, 2024: UAE teachers have been called to apply for the ninth Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize of $1 million. Organised in collaboration with UNESCO and in partnership with GEMS Education, the award is one the biggest prizes of its kind.
Sister Zeph, the winner of the last edition of the Global Teacher Prize, encouraged ‘inspiring’ UAE teachers to apply for the prize. She founded her own school for underprivileged children in the courtyard of her home at just 13. Sister Zeph received her trophy during a ceremony at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.
Sister Zeph, the most recent winner of the Global Teacher Prize says, “Throughout the UAE, inspiring teachers have dedicated their lives to empowering their students and helping them reach their full potential. This is a monumental task, and it is why teachers will always matter.
“I encourage them to apply for the Global Teacher Prize and urge parents and pupils to nominate the incredible educators who have made such a difference to the lives of so many. Their stories deserve to be told, and the world should know about all their achievements,” she adds.
The prize is open to working teachers who teach children in compulsory schooling or are between the ages of five and 18. Teachers who teach children aged above four in an Early Years government-recognised curriculum are also eligible, as are teachers who teach on a part-time basis, and teachers of online courses. Teachers must spend at least ten hours per week teaching and plan to remain in the profession for the next five years. It is open to teachers in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, in every country in the world.
Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize and Chairman of the Varkey Foundation says, “The Global Teacher Prize was created to spotlight the critical role of education in addressing the major challenges of our time – from combating climate change to reducing inequality and navigating technological change. I encourage all inspiring teachers in the UAE to step forward and apply for this year’s prize, joining a global community of educators leading the way to build a better future.”
The UAE boasts an impressive track record when it comes to the Global Teacher Prize. In 2021, Riadh Zammali, a PE teacher at the Ghayathi Centre for Special Needs in Abu Dhabi, was among the top 50 finalists. In 2020, Mohamed Mohtady, a sixth to twelfth-grade teacher at Anas Bin Al Nadr School in Fujairah, was named in the top 50. Rashed Hashem, a Physical Education and Health teacher at Al Moatasem Public School for boys in Baniyas, Abu Dhabi, made the top 50 in 2019. Two UAE teachers reached the top 50 in 2017: Shaikha Al Shehhi, an English teacher from Al Dhait Girls Secondary School, Ras Al Khaimah, and Rohan Roberts, a teacher of the GEMS Honours Programme and Astronomy at the GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis in Dubai.
Teachers applying for the Global Teacher Prize will be assessed on teaching practices, how they innovate to address local challenges, achieve demonstrable learning outcomes, impact the community beyond the classroom, help children become global citizens, improve the teaching profession and gain recognition from external bodies.
If teachers are being nominated, the person nominating them will write a brief description online explaining why. The teacher being nominated will then be sent an email letting them know they have been nominated and inviting them to apply for the prize. Applicants can apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.
The prize will be narrowed down to a Top 50 shortlist and Top 10 finalists to be announced next year, helping to raise the bar of respect for the teaching profession. The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy comprising prominent individuals and will be announced in 2025.
The closing date for applications is December 9, 2024. Interested teachers can apply for the Global Teacher Prize at www.globalteacherprize.org
