Jordanian among 50 shortlisted for global teacher prize

AMMAN — A Jordanian teacher has been included in the top 50 shortlist for the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2018 at globalteacherprize.org. 

Now in its fourth year, the $1 million award is the largest prize of its kind, a statement by the Varkey Foundation emailed to The Jordan Times on Monday indicated.

Samar Nazzal, who teaches robotics and physics to Syrian and Palestinian refugee girls, in a UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school in Irbid, was shortlisted for the Global Teacher Prize 2018 after being selected from over 30,000 nominations and applications from 173 countries around the world, according to the statement. 

Samar Nazzal teaches in Irbid Governorate, a poor community with many girls dropping out of school owing to early marriage. In a bid to increase girls' interest in science, she introduced robotics into her lessons, which has raised her students’ awareness of international issues. 

Each year, she sets her female students a scientific research challenge focused on a different global problem which they must analyse, pose hypotheses and find solutions for, before presenting them to experts. Global issues they have looked at include energy, transportation, food shortages, the elderly, disasters, education, waste and the animal world, the statement continued. 

As a result, many of her students have gone on to great success with one winning first prize in an Arab world science and engineering competition while others are now working as physics teachers at the UNRWA. 

Recognised many times for her pioneering work in girls’ education, Nazzal won the UNRWA Distinguished Teacher Award in 2015.

The top 50 shortlist has representatives from 33 countries and the winner will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on March 18, 2018.

“Congratulations to Samar Nazzal for reaching the final 50. I hope her story inspires those looking to enter the teaching profession and shines a spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over the world every day," Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation and the Global Teacher Prize, said in the statement.

“We intend to keep this momentum going as our journey continues to return teachers to their rightful position as one of the most respected professions in society," Varkey said.

The top 50 shortlisted teachers will be narrowed down to 10 finalists by a Prize Committee, with the result being announced in February 2018. The final winner will then be chosen by the Global Teacher Prize Academy.