Emirati who teaches in remote school in shortlist for $1m Global Teacher Prize
ABU DHABI: Rashed Hashem, a Physicaleducationandhealthteacher at Al Moatasem Public School for boys in Baniyas, Abu Dhabi, UAE, has been included in the top 50 shortlist for the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2019 at globalteacherprize.org. Now In Its ifth year, THE US$1 million award is the largest prize of its kind.
The teachers shortlisted for the Global Teacher Prize 2019 were selected from over 10,000 nominations and applications from 179 countries around the world.
Separate to this, there have also been tens of thousands of applications this year for the 33 national Teacher Prizes that have been inspired by the Global Teacher PRIZE, SINCE Its launch ive years AGO. THE winners of each National Teacher Prize were also put forward for consideration when the top 50 shortlist was decided.
The Global Teacher Prize was set up to recognise 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. By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes that have transformed young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world.
Rashed Hashem works in a remote school around 40km away from the capital and close to a nomadic tribal environment. He decided to pursue HIS Hopes of studying AND Got THE irst Doctorate In HIS particular ield In THE UAE. Since then Rashed has contributed to the teaching profession by equipping non-traditional learning environments to improve students’ learning levels through mobility. Rashed has used his experience in sports for people with disabilities to create innovative physical applications For student use. HE ESTABLISHED THE irst laboratory of hyperactivity, followed by the Smart Carpet laboratory, which promotes learning by motion through an interactive digital application.
He considers his greatest achievement is the establishment of innovative nontraditional educational laboratories at the Zayed Center for the Mind Industry, THE irst EDUCATIONAL Centre of Its kind In the Middle East. His methods have had a signiicant Impact on Improving student learning in areas of renewable energy, indoor gardens and health nutrition, and these innovations contributed to an improvement in his school’s assessment from 15% to 67% in 2018.
He has contributed to many international conference papers to improve understanding of teaching using tech with sports. HE Is THE irst EMIRATI TEACHER to DELIVER 18 SCIENTIIC papers to International CONFERENCES, AND THE irst Emirati teacher appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations. He won the Mohammed Bin Zayed Award for Best Gulf Teacher in 2018, and also received the UAE Medal in 2015 from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Thetop50shortlisthasrepresentatives from 39 countries and by highlighting their stories the Varkey Foundation hopes that the public will be able to join in passionate debates about the importance of teachers. Thewinnerwillbeannouncedattheglobal Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on Sunday 24 March 2019.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation and the Global Teacher Prize, said: “Congratulations to Rashed For REACHING THE inal 50. I Hope HIS story inspires those looking to enter the teaching profession and highlights the incredible work teachers do all over the world every day.
“Our recent Global Teacher Status INDEX inally GIVES ACADEMIC proof to something that we’ve always instinctively known: the link between the status of teachers in society and the performance of children in school. Now we can say beyond doubt that respecting teachers isn’t only an important moral duty – it’s essential for a country’s educational outcomes.”