Dubai’s ruler is helping give teachers around the world the glory they deserve.
Is there one particular teacher you remember from your childhood? One who inspired you to achieve more, and helped shape your views and work ethic into what they are today?
Us too—but sometimes teachers don’t always get the recognition they deserve, especially on a global stage.
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However one awards show is helping to change that.
The Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, a Dubai-based ceremony, awards US$1 million (Dhs3.67 million) every year to an outstanding educator, selected from a shortlist of worthy finalists from around the world.
The finalists for the 2018 prize, which will be held in Dubai on March 18, have just been revealed in a video from tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates—who gave HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum a shout-out in the clip.
The moment has finally arrived!
Here is @BillGates announcing our fantastic Top 10 #TeacherPrize Finalists! https://t.co/8NIeiXtijY @gatesfoundation pic.twitter.com/7xNNkKe2Pl
— Global Teacher Prize (@TeacherPrize) February 14, 2018
“For his patronage of the prize, thank you to the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed,” the Microsoft co-founder said.
Sheikh Mohammed has been a patron since the awards launched in 2015, and presented the trophy to last year’s winner, Canadian teacher Maggie McDonnell.
The royal has previously spoken about his passion for education, particularly when it comes to Arab youth learning within their own language.
“Our Arabic language has always been one of learning and science; it will not fail to absorb and adapt to the sciences and discoveries of our day. It can go even further to create superior technical terms that better represent modern inventions and developments,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote in an open letter last year.
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For this year’s Varkey prize, the 10 successful candidates were picked from a pool of more than 30,000 applications, with the finalists coming from Turkey, the Philippines, Colombia, the UK, the USA, Australia, Norway, Brazil, Belgium and South Africa.
We’ll bring you news of the winner when the ceremony is held next month.
Images: Getty, Dubai Media Office