KUALA LUMPUR: A special education teacher from Sekolah Kebangsaan Klang in Selangor, Wan Muadzam Wan Abidin, has been shortlisted as one of the top 50 teachers in the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2023 which offers a prize of USD1 million.
The Global Teacher Prize 2023 organised in collaboration with Unesco and Dubai Cares, a UAE-based global philanthropic organisation, selected Wan Muadzam from a list of over 7,000 nominations from 130 countries in recognition for his work with visually impaired children at his school.
Wan Muadzam showcased his various innovations and advocates for his students via social media platforms, in order to dispel societal myths about them.
His work even attracted the Education Ministry's attention in 2011 when he took three of his blind students to the peak of the highest mountain in Southeast Asia.
Wan Muadzam's use of and development of assistive tools includes the Caballus Rafvi, a running aid in the form of a foldable wheeled trolley made from PVC pipes and joint connectors, that allows his visually impaired students to participate in athletics on their own without assistance.
Another is a Braille Al-Quran reader which enabled his students to win various Al-Quran reading and Hafazan Al-Quran competitions up to the national level.
As an athletic coach for Selangor, he also organised a talent search programme for visually impaired youngsters, who are normally overlooked by the system, creating a special athletics competition for them.
He is also the Selangor State Special Education Teacher Council secretary where he shares his skills and experiences with over 7,000 special education teachers throughout Malaysia and works very closely with the ministry in textbook and curriculum development, Braille textbook development and individual education plans online.
Wan Muadzam has also been featured in Unesco conferences and international events where he shared his story and won international acclaimed awards.
This will be eighth year for the Global Teacher Prize which was set up to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play.
Dubai Cares chief executive officer and vice-chairman Dr Tariq Al Gurg, in congratulating the top 50 teachers, said teachers are the driving force behind progress, inspiring and shaping the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
"In addition to imparting knowledge, the role of teachers needs to be redefined as coaches, mentors, and facilitators who can empower their students to achieve their full potential by instilling in their students the values, skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to contribute solutions to the global challenges facing humanity and thrive in our ever-changing world.
"We value our long-standing partnership with the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, which celebrates the tireless efforts and incredible accomplishments of teachers around the world and their role in driving human development," he said.
Unesco assistant director-general for education, Stefania Giannini also congratulated Wan Muadzam and said Unesco is a proud partner of the Global Teacher Prize because teachers deserve great recognition.
"They inspire and prepare children and youth to navigate a rapidly evolving world.
"Their efforts play a leading role in transforming education for the future," she said.
Varkey Foundation founder, Sunny Varkey also extended his congratulations to the sole Malaysian standing in the 'race' for the USD 1million Global Teachers Prize 2023 this November. - NST
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