Indian teacher and activist Rouble Nagi has won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize for her work creating hundreds of learning centres and educational murals in slum communities. She received the award at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, she has set up over 800 learning centres across India and uses murals to teach subjects such as literacy, science, mathematics and history.
The Global Teacher Prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, founded by Sunny Varkey, who also established GEMS Education. Nagi said she plans to use the $1 million award to set up an institute offering free vocational training. She is the 10th recipient of the prize since it was launched in 2015. Previous winners include teachers from Kenya, Palestine and Canada, with last year’s award going to Saudi educator Mansour al-Mansour for his work with underprivileged communities.
GEMS Education, or Global Education Management Systems, is among the world’s largest private school operators and is valued at billions. Its growth has mirrored Dubai’s rise, where private schools cater to the children of foreign workers who drive the city’s economy.