KUALA LUMPUR: With Teachers’ Day approaching next Monday (May 16), now is the perfect time to nominate your favorite inspirational educator for Malaysia’s inaugural Teachers’ Prize.
The prize is the Malaysian edition of the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize and is now open for nominations.
This inaugural award aims to elevate the status of teachers and celebrate the achievements of outstanding teachers in Malaysia.
Organizers hope to see at least 1,000 teachers across the country nominated. The grand prize winner will receive RM50,000 while four other runners-up will receive RM5,000 each.
The top 10 finalists will also undergo professional development to help them better understand their impact as educators and potentially expand their work beyond their schools.
It is organized by Pemimpin GSL in partnership with YTL Foundation, with the support of the Ministry of Education.
At the launch Tuesday, May 10, Pemimpin GSL CEO Cheryl Ann Fernando said anyone could nominate a teacher for the award as long as they met the criteria.
Those wishing to nominate a teacher can do so by submitting their applications and providing basic information about their candidates.
Applicants will receive an email inviting them to apply.
Teachers can also apply for the award themselves.
They must create an account on the website and will be required to write five 300-500 word essays and upload supporting materials.
Pemimpin GSL program director Samuel Isaiah said there were four main criteria to be eligible for the award.
The first is that a candidate must teach the national curriculum for at least 10 hours per week.
They must also plan to remain in service for at least five more years, he said.
“Teachers should know that they are highly valued and cherished by society,” said Samuel, who is the first Malaysian teacher to make the Global Teacher Prize Top 10.
YTL Foundation program director Datuk Kathleen Chew said she was “delighted to sponsor the award” as part of the foundation’s 25th anniversary.
Applications close on June 30 and the names of the 10 shortlisted finalists are expected to be released in August.
For more information and to apply, go to https://malaysiateacherprize.org/
