Malaysian teacher Samuel Isaiah, who came to national attention for his work with Orang Asli communities, has been named among the Top 10 finalists of the Global Teacher Prize 2020.
The prize is a US$1 million (RM4.4 million) award given to an exceptional teacher who has made a monumental contribution to their profession.
Samuel, known to his students as Teacher Sam, first came to public attention after his role in turning around the academic performance of his Orang Asli students at SK Runchang, in Muadzam Shah, Pahang. As a result, he was given the Education Ministry's Superhero Teachers Award in 2018.
Last year after eight years at the school, Samuel was granted study leave by the Education Ministry to pursue a Masters in Educational Policy and Leadership at the State University of New York at Albany as a Fulbright scholar, his intention being to return and play a role in developing policies for Orang Asli education.
The Kuantan native, however, has come back to Malaysia due to the Covid-19 situation.
In making the announcement, the Varkey Foundation paid tribute to Samuel's work.
"You travelled 200km to and from school every day (100km in each direction) to reach your students, the Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Malaysia who live in the rainforests.
"You provided laptops and tablets for your students through a national crowdfunding campaign and most importantly dedicated yourself to inspiring your students to dream big and to connect to the outside world. This has resulted in your school’s average pass rate in English increasing from 30 percent to between 80-85 percent" it said.
First introduced in 2015, the Global Teacher Prize is given by the Varkey Foundation in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
The Varkey Foundation is linked to Dubai-based Indian entrepreneur Sunny Varkey.
When contacted by Malaysiakini over the nomination, Samuel said, "Personally this is not just a win for Malaysia but a win for underprivileged children across the world, especially Orang Asli children."
"My main focus has always been about promoting what indigenous children can do, that they have amazing capabilities. With the right form of interventions and planning and creating a supportive environment for them, they can achieve great things," he said.
Samuel who just turned 33 this week (on Oct 25) said that as a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize 2020, he hoped to represent Orang Asli children in the eyes of the world, adding that he was humbled and grateful for the recognition.
Samuel joins Indian teacher Ranjitsinh Disale, Nigerian teacher Olasunkanmi Opeifa, UK teacher Jamie Frost, Italian teacher Carlo Mazzone, South African teacher Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba, US teacher Leah Juelke, and South Korean teacher Yun Jeong-hyun as top 10 finalists.
The remaining two finalists will be announced in the run-up to the Global Teacher Prize ceremony, which will be held virtually for the first time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ceremony is expected to take place on Dec 3 and will be hosted by actor Stephen Fry from the Natural History Museum in London.
The ceremony will also include a special recognition for one teacher – a Covid hero – who has gone above and beyond to keep young people learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first annual Global Teacher Prize was awarded in March 2015 to Nancie Atwell, an innovative and pioneering English teacher and teacher trainer in rural Maine in the United States, who founded and runs a school where students read an average of 40 books a year, choose which books they read, and write prolifically.
Subsequent winners include Hanan Al Hroub, a Palestinian teacher who specialises in supporting children traumatised by violence, and Peter Tabichi, a Kenyan science teacher who donates 80 percent of his salary to support pupils in a remote village.
UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini also lauded Samuel over the achievement saying:
“Congratulations to Samuel for being selected as a top 10 finalist from such a huge number of talented and dedicated teachers. I hope his story will inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession and also highlight the incredible work teachers do all over Malaysia and throughout the world every day." - Mkini
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