Arts & textile teacher from poor UK school emerges as "World Best Teacher"

OREDOLA ADEOLA

A North London teacher, Andria Zafirakou,has emerged as the first British winner of a prize for the World’s Best Teacher held in Dubai on Sunday night. She went home with $1million (£720,000) being the prize money for the award.

The fourth edition of the award night which recognizes outstanding pedagogical achievements, was organised by the Varkey Foundation, an international foundation for educational development. It debut in 2015 to give the teaching profession more recognition.

The British teacher emerged out of ten finalists, who were drawn out of about 30,000 nominations selected from 173 countries.

Andria Zafirakou, an arts and textiles teacher from Alperton community school in Brent, North London, a poor neighborhood with many migrants. She learned basic phrases in 35 languages out of 130 languages spoken in the school.

She effectively uses this medium of communication to address both her students and their parents.

As a prize winner, she is expected to continue working as a teacher for at least five years. She will be paid the prize money in instalments, over a period of paid for ten years.

Speaking shortly after the award, she described how the arts subject helps students to communicate effectively.

According to her arts help to give so much confidence and create incredible young people. She called for support for arts programs.

The event was attended by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, former US Vice President, Al Gore, former UK PM Tony Blair, while the Olympic champion Mo Farah and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, also presented a trophy at the ceremony and US singer and actress Jennifer Hudson also performed at the “Oscars-style awards ceremony” for teachers.

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May sent a video message congratulating her during the award session. In the video PM disclosed that great teachers needed “resilience, ingenuity and a generous heart”.

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