Ranjitsinh Disale from the Solapur district of Maharashtra is the winner of 10 finalists from around the world for the annual award funded by the Varkey Foundation.
An Indian primary school teacher was named the winner of the annual $ 1 million 2020 Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition of his efforts to advance girls’ education and spark a rapid response coded textbook revolution (QR ) in India.
Ranjitsinh Disale, 32, from Paritewadi village in the Solapur district of Maharashtra, turned out to be the winner of 10 finalists from around the world for the annual award founded by the Varkey Foundation in 2014 to recognize an exceptional teacher who has made a outstanding contribution to the profession.
Disale, who believes that teachers are the true change makers in the world, announced that he will share 50% of the prize money with his fellow finalists to support his incredible work.
The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has exposed education and the communities it serves in many ways. But in this difficult time, teachers are doing everything they can to make sure all students have access to their birthright to a good education, Mr. Disale said.
“Teachers are the true change makers who are changing the lives of their students with a mix of chalk and challenge. They always believe in giving and sharing. And so I am pleased to announce that I will share 50% of the prize money equally among my fellow Top 10 Finalists to support their incredible work. I believe that together we can change this world because sharing is growing, ”he said.
His generous gesture means the other nine finalists will receive just over $ 55,000 each, as he made history as the first winner to share his prize money. By sharing the prize money, you teach the world the importance of giving, said Sunny Varkey, an Indian education philanthropist, founder of the prize.
“Now I encourage you to use this platform to give voice to all teachers. There is not a moment to lose, as young people will be tasked with finding solutions to problems that their parents and grandparents have not had the will to solve, including climate change, conflicts and global pandemics, ”he said.
In another first, the announcement of the winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2020 was made in a virtual ceremony broadcast from the Natural History Museum in London by British actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry.
“Masters like Ranjitsinh will stop climate change and build more peaceful and just societies. Teachers like Ranjitsinh will eliminate inequalities and boost economic growth. Teachers like Ranjitsinh will save our future, ”said Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), a partner of the initiative.
When Mr. Disale arrived at Zilla Parishad Primary School in Paritewadi in Solapur in 2009, it was a dilapidated building, between a shed and a warehouse.
She took on the task of turning things around and making sure that textbooks were available in the local language for students and not only translated the class textbooks into her students’ native language, but also incorporated them with codes Unique QR so students could access audio poems. , video lectures, stories and assignments.
The impact of their interventions has been that now no adolescent marriages have been reported in the town and 100% attendance of girls in school.
Ranjitsinh Disale. Archive
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Mr. Disale’s school became the first in the state of Maharashtra to introduce QR codes and after submitting a successful pilot plan and proposal, the State Ministry announced in 2017 that they would introduce textbooks with QR codes throughout the state for all grades.
In 2018, the Ministry of Human Resource Development announced that all National Council for Research and Training in Education (NCERT) textbooks would have built-in QR codes.
Disale is also passionate about peacebuilding among youth in conflict zones and, through the “Cross the Borders” project, connects youth from India and Pakistan, Palestine and Israel, Iraq and Iran, and the United States. and North Korea.
During a six-week program, students are paired with a fellow peacemaker from other countries with whom they interact closely. So far, Mr. Disale has started an incredible 19,000 students from eight countries in this program.
In addition, using the Microsoft Educator Community platform, the enterprising teacher spends his weekends taking students from resource-depleted schools around the world on virtual field trips. He is known for demonstrating science experiments from the science lab he has built at home.
Disale was selected from the top 10 finalists out of over 12,000 nominations and applications from over 140 countries, along with Olasunkanmi Opeifa from Nigeria, Jamie Frost from the UK, Carlo Mazzone from Italy, Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba from South Africa, Leah Juelke from the USA. Yun Jeong-hyun from South Korea, Samuel Isaiah from Malaysia, Doani Emanuela Bertan from Brazil and one from Vietnam.
The Global Teacher Prize is paid in equal installments over 10 years, and the Varkey Foundation provides financial advice and support to winners through a role as an ambassador for the profession.
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