The Ministry of Education hosted Prof Sitsofe Enyonam Anku, to celebrate him for his nomination for the Global Teacher Prize to be held in Dubai in March 2018.
Professor Anku bagged his nomination among the 50 deserving teachers shortlisted Out of 33,000 global applicants for the ultimate price.
The event, which was chaired by the Minister for Education, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, was attended by directors of education, teachers, senior high school students and the general public.
Dr. Owusu Prempeh congratulated Prof. Anku on his achievements and contributions to the teaching of Mathematics in Ghana, and recalled the collaborations the ministry has enjoyed with him on various projects.
The Minister wished him God’s blessings and assured him the nation stood behind him in the confidence that he will bring the $1m prize home and make this country proud.
About The Global Teacher Prize
The Global Teacher Prize is a US $1 million award presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.
The prize serves to underline the importance of educators and the fact that, throughout the world, their efforts deserve to be recognised and celebrated. It seeks to acknowledge the impacts of the very best teachers – not only on their students but on the communities around them.
Why teachers?
Lack of education is a major factor behind many of the social, political, economic and health issues faced by the world today. We believe education has the power to reduce poverty, prejudice and conflict.
The status of teachers in cultures across the world is critically important to our global future; #teachersmatter.
Who is behind the Global Teacher Prize?
The Global Teacher Prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Emir of Dubai.
The Global Teacher Prize 2016
The top 10 finalists for the 2016 prize were announced on 17th February. Hanan Al Hroub was announced as the winner in an evening ceremony on 13th March 2016 at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.
The Global Teacher Prize 2017
The top 10 finalists for the 2017 prize were announced on 21st February. Maggie MacDonnell was announced as the winner in an evening ceremony on the 19th March 2017 at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.
How is the prize judged?
The Global Teacher Prize Judging Academy includes public officials, head teachers, academics, journalists, entrepreneurs, company directors, scientists and entertainment industry figures from around the world. They share the common goal of shining a spotlight on the great work that teachers do and use a comprehensive list of judging criteria. To ensure fairness and transparency, the process is overseen by PwC.
The Origins of the Global Teacher Prize
In 2013, the Varkey Foundation commissioned Populus, the leading research and strategy consultancy, to gather in-depth opinions from 21 countries to explore attitudes about the teaching profession. The survey covered areas such as teachers’ salaries, students’ attitudes towards educators and how participants rated their own education systems.
The results, published as the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Status Index, formed the first comprehensive attempt to compare the status of teachers across the world. For the first time, concrete evidence was presented by a rigorous study that provided an accurate picture of how teachers were viewed across the world.
In many countries, it was clear that the profession’s status had dropped. While it wasn’t exclusively bad news, the findings shocked Sunny Varkey, the Varkey Foundation’s Chairman, whose parents had both been teachers. He founded the Global Teacher Prize as a response with the aim of raising the profession’s profile.
Who won the inaugural prize?
In 2015, at the Global Education and Skills Forum, Nancie Atwell was announced as the winner from the top 10 outstanding finalists and presented with the first ever Global Teacher Prize.
Nancie donated the $1m award to the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the school she founded in Maine, USA, to support underprivileged learners.
Global Teeacher Prize: the impact
We believe the Global Teacher Prize is making a real difference to the profession and having a very positive effect at both a grassroots level and on the global stage.
In the prize’s inaugural year, there were over 5,000 entries from 127 countries which generated a huge amount of media interest. Local reporting around the world has been tremendously supportive of the shortlisted teachers while a host of high profile endorsers including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abduallah of Jordan, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair have been very vocal in their encouragement.
Coverage of Nancie’s win has been widespread and has changed not only her life but the lives of her students.
With the announcement of the top 10 finalists for the 2016 Global Teacher Prize, the way the profession is presented in the media has continued to evolve.
Source :EducationGhana.net