Indian Teacher Wins Global Teacher Prize for Transforming Slums Through Art
Rouble Nagi received the honor at the World Governments Summit held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a prestigious annual gathering of global leaders.
An Indian teacher and activist known for creating hundreds of learning centers and painting educational murals on slum walls won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize on Thursday.
Rubal Naghi accepted the award at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, an annual event attended by leaders from around the world.
Her Rubal Naghi Art Foundation has established more than 800 learning centers across India, aiming to provide structured learning to children who have never attended school. They also provide education to children already enrolled in school.
Naghi also creates murals that teach literacy, science, math, and other subjects like history.
The prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, founded by Sunny Varkey, who also founded the for-profit GEMS Education company, which operates dozens of schools in Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE.
“Rubal Naghi embodies the very best of teaching—courage, creativity, compassion, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child,” Varkey said in a statement posted on the Global Teacher Prize website. “By bringing education to the most marginalized communities, she has not only transformed individual lives but also strengthened families and communities.”
Naghi plans to use the $1 million prize money to establish an institute that will provide free vocational training.
UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini said Naghi’s prize “reminds us of a simple truth: teachers matter.”
In comments posted on the prize website, Giannini said UNESCO was “proud to be associated with the Global Teacher Prize to celebrate teachers like you, who, with patience, determination, and faith in every learner, help children get to school—a life-changing endeavor.”
Naghi is the 10th teacher to win the award, which the foundation began awarding in 2015. Previous winners of the Global Teacher Prize include a Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gives away most of his earnings to the poor, a Palestinian primary school teacher who teaches her students about non-violence, and a Canadian teacher who taught Inuit students in a remote Arctic village.
Last year’s winner was Saudi educator Mansour Al-Mansour, known for his work with the underprivileged in the Kingdom. GEMS Education, or Global Education Management Systems, is one of the world’s largest private school operators and is believed to be worth billions.
Its success mirrors that of Dubai, where private schools are the only option for the children of expatriates who drive its economy.
