Dubai: It is countdown time for the race to win the world’s best teacher prize of a million dollars floated by the Varkey GEMS Foundation. Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares and one of the jurors on the panel for the award, urged GCC teachers to enter the contest.
The award will be given to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. This will be the inaugural award of the prize which was officially launched in October 2013 under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The final closing date for nominations and application is October 5, while the winner will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai in March 2015.
Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey, who sits on the Global Teacher Prize Academy that chooses the final winner, said: “When I was starting out, I was inspired by an older, more experienced actor, who told me that he thought I ought to go into acting professionally. That’s the kind of mentoring and personal support that every young person needs to realise their potential.
“It’s the kind of encouragement and guidance that good teachers give to their pupils every day. And that is why I support this award. However much we achieve in life, we all began learning the basics from a teacher in a classroom. Those that teach — devoting their talents and time to nurturing the talents of others — deserve to be celebrated and respected.”
Commenting on the significance of the prize, Al Gurg said: “This award recognises the most able, committed and inspiring members of the teaching profession around the world. It also celebrates the teaching profession and, crucially, raises the status of those who dedicate their lives to sharing knowledge and skills with our young people and communities.”
Former US president Bill Clinton, Honorary Chairman of the Varkey GEMS Foundation, said: “Attracting the best people to teaching, developing and supporting their skills, and holding our teachers in high regard — all are critically important to achieve excellence, both in teaching and learning.”
