Kenyan beaten to Global Teacher Prize
What you need to know:
- Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who was in attendance, said the 10 finalists were role models.
- The 63-year-old educator from Maine said she would donate the $1 million (Sh91 million) to the school she founded in 1990.
- The winner was picked by the prominent Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of headteachers, journalists, public officials and tech entrepreneurs, among others.
Ms Nancy Atwell of the US beat Kenya’s Jackline Jumbe-Kahura and eight other finalists to bag the prestigious Global Teacher Prize in Dubai on Sunday.
More than 5,000 entrants from 127 countries were nominated for the prize, the largest and most prestigious of its kind.
Ms Jumbe-Kahura, a volunteer teacher from Kilifi was the only African finalist. The award is sponsored by Varkey GEM Foundation.
Ms Jumbe-Kahura has devoted her time helping bright but needy students access education. Apart from teaching, she has been sponsoring students for further studies. She has also improved infrastructure in schools in remote areas of Kilifi county.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who was in attendance, said the 10 finalists were role models.
Ms Atwell of the Centre for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb said the other nine finalists were also winners.
HAPPINESS AND WISDOM
The 63-year-old educator from Maine said she would donate the $1 million (Sh91 million) to the school she founded in 1990. The school with about 80 students develops effective teaching methods and shares them with educators from around the world.
“I’ve learned and I’m still learning how to make a school a place of happiness and wisdom for my students and myself,” she said.
She added that teaching was a humbling and fulfilling experience.
“I’m honoured to accept this award, especially so in the company of these extraordinary teachers,” she said upon being named the 2015 and inaugural winner in a ceremony attended by former US President Bill Clinton, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, among other dignitaries.
The winner was picked by the prominent Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of headteachers, journalists, public officials and tech entrepreneurs, among others.
