The rare attitude of preferring to prioritize learning from others, while still learning to live. The lesson, which will last forever, was taught by an Indian teenager, just 13 years old, in her own backyard.
The example of altruism and maturity, at such a young age, came from the Pakistani Sister Zeph (Riffat Arif), elected the ‘best teacher in the world’ in 2023, which earned her this year’s Global Teacher Prize, the ‘Nobel of Education'.
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But this beautiful story was born out of a public humiliation, when Riffat was slapped by her teacher in front of her entire class, when she was in seventh grade. After leaving, forever, the school that did not provide her with any solidarity, she then decided to transmit to boys and girls, her neighbors, the knowledge she had acquired by reading and listening to news in English.
Today, Riffat – who has two master's degrees (Political Science and History, from the University of Punjab), and is about to graduate in Education, from the University Allama Iqbal – continues teaching in Gujranwala, to students from 11 nearby villages, in two schools, in addition to the skills center operated by Zephaniah Education and Empowerment Foundation, which provides free formal education in both schools (up to secondary school for girls and up to fifth grade for boys).
At the skills center, in turn, students receive English classes, beauty courses, sewing, management finance and arts, by 12 teachers who work full-time (both in schools and in the center). Not to mention courses ‘via Skype’ with educators from Europe, the United States and other countries.
Never give up – Another example of empathy and solidarity from our ‘heroine’, was his insistence that Tayyeba, one of her employees at the foundation, continued her studies, even after being forced to help her family with the death of her father. father. The stimulus had an effect and, currently, Tayyeba runs her own beauty salon, while completing her master's degree at the University of Punjab and working as an executive assistant at the Zephaniah Foundation.
Awarded by the Varkey Foundation, in partnership with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the Global Teacher Prize has been held since 2014, providing the winning educator with a prize equivalent to US$ 1 million (around R$ 5 million), chosen from more than 7 thousand registered teachers, from 130 countries. Among them, professor Alberto Rodrigues dos Santos – who teaches art classes supported by technology and student leadership – was the only Brazilian among the 50 finalists.
Global Teacher Prize History
2015: Nancie Atwell from the United States, English teacher who founded and ran a rural school.
2016: Hanan Al Hroub, from Palestine, who supports children overcoming traumatic episodes of violence.
2017: Maggie MacDonnell from Canada, who worked in a remote community, addressing high rates of teen suicide and promoting hope and resilience.
2018: Andria Zafirakou from the UK, art teacher at an ethnically diverse school.
2019: Peter Tabichi from Kenya, who teaches math and physics in a school with 1 computer for every 58 students.
2020: Ranjitsinh Disale from India, who has made a significant impact by transforming girls' education and incorporating technology into learning.
2021: Keishia Thorpe, from the United States, English teacher specializing in working with immigrant and refugee students, helping them access university
