Nigerian teacher Opeifa receives US$55,000, lauds Global Teacher Prize 2020 winner

Nigerian teacher Olasunkanmi Opeifa, will receive $55,000 for being among the top ten finalists of the 2020 Global Teacher prize courtesy of the decision of Ranjitsinh Disale, winner of Global Teacher Prize 2020 to share half of the US$1 million prize money equally among the other Top 10 finalists.

Opeifa an English teacher from Government Day Secondary School, Karu, Abuja, Nigeria, who was named among the top 10 at the award while lauding the winner, said such a huge gesture shows the world what an exemplary and selfless individual Ranjit is.

According to Opeifa, “there could be no better role model for teachers than Ranjit. “In the year of COVID, which has brought unimaginable challenges to teachers across the world, he is a shining symbol of the incredible work that teachers do. It is why I and the other finalists are so proud to call him our friend”.

Ranjitsinh Disale, a primary school teacher from Zilla Parishad Primary School, Paritewadi, Solapur, Maharashtra, India was announced as the Global Teacher Prize 2020 winner by at a virtual ceremony broadcast from London’s Natural History Museum.

In his winning speech, Disale made the extraordinary announcement that he will share half the prize money with his fellow Top 10 finalists, resulting in the other nine finalists receiving just over US$55,000 each. This is the first time in the Global Teacher Prize’s six-year history that the overall winner has shared the prize money with other finalists.

Disale was selected from over 12,000 nominations and applications from over 140 countries around the world. The Global Teacher Prize was set up to recognize 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 in society.

On winning the Global Teacher Prize 2020, Ranjitsinh Disale said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed education and the communities it serves in a multitude of ways. But in this hard time, teachers are giving their best to make sure every student has access to their birthright of a good education.

Stefania Giannini, assistant director general for Education at UNESCO, said: “It’s my great pleasure to congratulate Ranjitsinh Disale from Maharashtra in India for winning this year’s Global Teacher Prize. UNESCO is a proud partner of the Global Teacher Prize, an award that has done so much to highlight how teachers transform the lives of young people everywhere.

“I speak to you at a critical moment for education worldwide. The COVID pandemic has dealt a severe blow to education systems around the world, but the learning crisis must not turn into a learning catastrophe and it is the contribution of teachers during these difficult times that is making the difference really. I recognise their hard work and sacrifice, but they need all the support we can give them so they can help the next generation find their feet in an increasingly uncertain world.