Maharashtra man wins $1 Mn Global Teacher Prize 2020 for promoting girls' education

A primary school teacher from India was on Thursday named winner of $1 million annual Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition of his efforts to promote girls' education and trigger a quick-response (QR) coded textbook revolution in India.

Ranjitsinh Disale, 32, from Paritewi village in Maharashtra's Solapur district, emerged winner among 10 finalists from across world. annual prize was founded by Varkey Foundation in 2014 to recognise an exceptional teacher who has me outstanding contribution to profession.

Mr Disale, who believes that teachers are world's "real changemakers", announced that he will be sharing 50 per cent of his prize money with his fellow finalists to support ir "incredible work".

" COVID-19 pandemic has exposed education and communities it serves in a multitude of ways. But, in this hard time, teachers are giving ir best to make sure every student has access to ir birthright of a good education," Mr Disale said.

"Teachers are real changemakers who are changing lives of ir students with a mixture of chalk and challenges. y always believe in giving and sharing. refore, I am very pleased to announce that I will share 50 per cent of prize money equally among my fellow top 10 finalists to support ir incredible work. I believe, toger, we can change this world because sharing is growing," he said.

His gesture means or nine finalists will receive just over $55,000 each, making history as first winner to share his prize money.

"By sharing prize money, you teach world importance of giving," said Indian education philanthropist Sunny Varkey, founder of prize.

"I now encourage you to use this platform to give all teachers a voice. re is not a moment to lose as it will fall on young people to find solutions to problems that ir parents and grandparents have lacked will to solve, including climate change, conflict and global pandemics," he said.

In anor first, Global Teacher Prize 2020 winner's announcement was me at a virtual ceremony, brocast from Natural History Museum in London by British actor-brocaster Stephen Fry.

"Teachers like Ranjitsinh will stop climate change and build more peaceful and just societies. Teachers like Ranjitsinh will eliminate inequalities and drive forward economic growth. Teachers like Ranjitsinh will save our future," said Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education at UNESCO ( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), a partner of initiative.

When Mr Disale arrived at Zilla Parish Primary School at Paritewi in Solapur in 2009, it was a dilapidated building, sandwiched between a cattle shed and a storeroom.

He took on task of turning things around and ensuring textbooks were available in local language for pupils. He not only translated textbooks into ir mor tongue, but also embedded m with unique QR codes to give students access to audio poems, video lectures, stories and assignments.

As a result of his interventions, no teenage marriage has been reported in village and re has been 100 per cent attendance of girls at school.

Mr Disale's school went on to become first in Maharashtra to introduce QR codes. After submitting a proposal and successful pilot scheme, state ministry announced in 2017 that y would introduce QR coded textbooks across state for all gres.

In 2018, human resources development ministry announced that all National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks would have embedded QR codes.

Mr Disale is equally passionate about building peace between young people across conflict zones and through a "Let's Cross Borders" project, he connects young people from India and Pakistan, Palestine and Israel, Iraq and Iran, and US and North Korea.

Over a six-week programme, students are matched with a peace buddy from or countries with whom y closely interact with. So far, Mr Disale has inducted about 19,000 students from eight countries into this programme.

Besides, with use of Microsoft Educator Community platform, enterprising teacher spends his weekends taking students from schools around world with lack of resources on virtual field trips.

He is well-known for demonstrating scientific experiments from science lab he built in his home as well.

Mr Disale was selected in final 10 from over 12,000 nominations and applications from over 140 countries, alongside Olasunkanmi Opeifa from Nigeria, Jamie Frost from UK, Carlo Mazzone from Italy, Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba from South Africa, Leah Juelke from US, Yun Jeong-hyun from South Korea, Samuel Isaiah from Malaysia and Doani Emanuela Bertan from Brazil.

Global Teacher Prize is paid in equal installments over 10 years, with Varkey Foundation providing winners with financial counselling and support through an ambassorial role for profession.

(image credit: @TeacherPrize Twitter)