Varkey Launches $1m 'Nobel Prize' for Teachers

A prize of $1 million is being offered to the "best educator in the world", an initiative being led by the Varkey GEMS Foundation and open to any educator, current or former, from any country, “who has made the greatest impact on learning and student development in their nation”.

The winner will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum 2015 in Dubai next spring.

The GEMS Foundation, which already has a dedicated web site for the award, describes it as the equivalent of a ‘Nobel Prize’.

According to GEMS Chairman Sunny Varkey, "respect, reward and the status of teachers has diminished over a period of time. Today, you will find there is a shortage of good teachers, and not too many good students choose teaching as a profession."

“[Teachers] must be returned to their rightful position as the most respected profession in society, which is properly rewarded and celebrated."

According to the prize's web site,  the prize has been launched to "raise the stature of the teaching profession, so that children will dream of becoming the greatest teacher in the world."

A committee including Varkey will meet in October to decide the shortlist. An international “academy” of judges that will include the actor Kevin Spacey; the deputy mayor of London Munira Mirza; and Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp; alongside headteachers and other education experts will select the winner from the final shortlist of ten candidates. Consultancy, PwC, will audit the awards process.

The prize operates under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.

The panel will be looking for an innovative teacher with “exceptional results”, who has won respect in their community through activities beyond the classroom.

The winner will be expected to be a role model for other teachers through their charity or community work or other cultural achievements and will have encouraged other teachers to join the profession.

Specific criteria according to the prize's web site include:

- Having encouraged others to join the teaching profession
- Improving access to a quality education for children of all backgrounds.
- Having developed and shared innovative thought leadership that has improved access to quality teaching.
- Accomplishments beyond the classroom that provide unique and distinguished models of excellence for the teaching profession.
- Recognition of a teacher’s achievements in the classroom and beyond from pupils, colleagues, head-teachers or members of the wider community.
- Having prepared children to be global citizens in a world where they will encounter people from many different religions, cultures and nationalities.
- Having employed innovative and effective instructional practices and achieving demonstrable student learning outcomes in the classroom.
- Having contributed to public debates on raising the bar of the teaching profession, whether through writing articles, blogs, media participation, social media campaigns, events or conferences.

“It’s a process, and initially there might be certain challenges, but as we go along it will become quite easy for us,” said Varkey. “We are trying to make a statement — the money [part] is one thing, but we are trying to talk about the prestige [associated with the prize].

"There are so many teachers who would strive to get this award."

Nominations may be made here. The closing date for applications will be 31 August 2014.