The inaugural Malaysia Teacher Prize has announced its top 10 shortlisted teachers, in recognition of their exceptional contribution in educating young minds.
The Top 10 teachers are:
- Wan Muadzam Wan Abidin, special education teacher, Sekolah Kebangsaan Klang, Selangor
- Goh Kok Ming, mathematics teacher, SJK(C) Chi Seng 2, Perak
- Anuthra Sirisena, chemistry teacher, SMJK Chung Hwa Tenom, Sabah
- Tan Shi Min, English teacher, SMK Syed Ibrahim, Kedah
- Shyielathy Arumugam, SMK Datuk Haji Abdul Wahab, Perak
- Khairil Azmir Ahmad, SMKA Perempuan Alawiyah, Perlis
- Kumaresan Muniandy, vocational special education teacher, SM Pendidikan Khas Vokasional Merbok, Kedah
- Anita Md. Yasin, bakery and pastry vocational teacher, Keningau Vocational College, Sabah
- Shahril Othman, principal, SK Seri Samudera, Perak
- Aishah Mohamed Hamdan, English teacher, SMK Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Perak
The award, organized by Pemimpin GSL and supported by YTL Foundation, is the first local edition of the world renowned Global Teacher Prize to honour the outstanding contribution of the teaching profession and to highlight the important role teachers play in society.
The Top 10 shortlisted teachers are in the running for the grand prize winner of the RM50,000 cash award.
In addition, four other teachers will be selected as the Top 5 finalists and will be awarded with RM5,000 each.
The winner will be announced at the Malaysia Teacher Prize award ceremony at JW Marriott Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on October 7, 2022.
The Top 10 shortlisted teachers will also be recreating their teaching methods at the Leaps of Knowledge conference on October 8, 2022.
All of the Top 10 teachers will receive professional development to help them understand the impact they are making and scale their work beyond their classrooms.
YTL Foundation programme director Dato’ Kathleen Chew said the foundation supports the Malaysia Teacher Prize through collaboration with Pemimpin GSL and it gives them opportunities to spotlight and celebrate the work of teachers.
“The Malaysia Teacher Prize is one of the many programmes we sponsor to strengthen communities and to build back better, especially after the pandemic. I am confident that the Top 10 finalists will continue to inspire other teachers and the entire nation with their stories and their drive to improve student outcomes,” she said.
The Top 10 shortlisted teachers were selected from over 800 applications between the submission period from May 10 to July 17, 2022. They were selected based on their innovative classroom practices, contribution to the teaching fraternity and their community, best usage of the prize money and their journey towards becoming an educator.
The entries were shortlisted by an esteemed panel of judges consisting of academicians, officials from the Ministry of Education and outstanding individuals from educational and non-educational organizations nationwide.
“These teachers have challenged the norms and gone beyond the call of duty to ensure every child in their classroom is given an opportunity to fulfil their potential. We know that these outstanding individuals will inspire not just the teaching community but the nation at large for their passion and commitment to their students and society,” said Pemimpin GSL chief executive officer Cheryl Ann Fernando.
“The stories we’ve witnessed from the Top 10 shortlisted teachers are a part of the larger narrative of Malaysian teachers doing amazing things. The next step is for us to think about how we can scale the ideas on a national and international level. That is why the Malaysia Teacher Prize will provide a long-term development plan for the Top 10 teachers so that they can continue to refine their teaching methods and transfer this knowledge to teachers across Malaysia,” said Pemimpin GSL programme director Samuel Isaiah.
