Dubai's Global Teacher Prize to award $1m to exceptional educator

Actor Hugh Jackman will be among the guests

British teacher Andria Zafirakou receives the 2018 Global Teacher Prize from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Karim Sahib / AFP

One teacher is to be awarded US$1 million (Dh3.67m) for their work in inspiring pupils when this year's Global Teacher Prize is announced on Sunday.

The prize celebrate a profession that is often underpaid and under resourced, and recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to their profession.

The 10 finalists were announced in a video last month by actor Hugh Jackman, who hailed teachers as the "real superheroes".

Teachers are nominated by their schools or can nominate themselves, with the winner selected by a judging panel.

The prize started five years ago and in 2019 it attracted 10,000 nominations from 179 countries.

The Global Teacher Prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

In 2018, Andria Zafirakou, an art and textiles teacher from London, UK, was named the winner of the US$1 million Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize at a star-studded awards gala in Dubai.

Ms Zafirakou was recognised for her work at Alperton Community School, an inner-city school in Brent, a multicultural community in London where more than one-third of children live in poverty and more than half of the residents were born outside the UK.

In a video posted on the prize's twitter account, Ms Zafirakou said that it's quite emotional for her to be back a year on from winning the prize and that she is happy and excited for the 10 finalists.

On Saturday, the Varkey Foundation will hold a Global Teacher Prize Musical Concert as a joyful thank you to teachers all around the world for the unsung work they do every day.

Around 10,000 people are expected to join Little Mix, who are headlining the event, together with Rita Ora and Liam Payne, at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre to pay tribute to one of the world’s most important professions.