UNESCO rewards outstanding teacher initiatives in Chile, Indonesia and UK
The Centre for Mathematic Modelling of the University of Chile, the Diklat Berjenjang project of Indonesia and the Fast-track Transformational Teacher Training Programme of the United Kingdom, were recognised for their efforts to improve the performance and effectiveness of teachers worldwide.
The Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Teachers will be awarded on 5th October as part of World Teachers' Day celebrations at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris where each winner will receive US$100,000.
The Centre for Mathematic Modelling of the University of Chile is rewarded for its 'Adding it up: Mathematics online' programme which was developed to address the performance gaps in mathematics between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and improve the quality of maths teaching in general. It is a ‘learning by doing' programme organised by grade levels and curricula, enabling teachers to focus on their specialised area of mathematics teaching. It blends face-to-face sessions with intensive virtual instruction. The programme is scalable, easily accessed by teachers in remote areas, and it promotes inclusion.
The Diklat Berjenjang project from Indonesia is rewarded for bringing quality professional development to early childhood teachers, notably in the poorest and most remote areas. It helps meet Indonesia's need for teachers skilled in creating stimulating learning environments for young learners. It helps identify potential teacher trainers and provides step-by-step written guides, follow-up assignments and exchanges.
The Fast-track Transformational Teacher Training Programme from the UK was selected for its highly innovative and impactful approach to training teachers in various professional environments in Ghana. It promotes child-centred and play-based pedagogy in early education to replace traditional talk chalk disciplinarian methods. Practicing teachers receive a two-year training, combining workshops with smaller peer group meetings in which they are paired on the basis of their complementary strengths to engage in classroom observations and in class coaching.
The three winners were selected from 150 nominations submitted by the Governments of UNESCO's Member States and UNESCO partner organisations on the recommendation of an International Jury of education professionals.
Established in 2009 with funding from H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, the Prize is awarded every two years to projects that have made outstanding contributions to improving the quality of teaching and learning, especially in developing countries or within marginalised or disadvantaged communities.