An east London teacher has been named as a finalist in a prestigious global education prize worth $1m (£825,000).
Shafina Vohra, an A-Level psychology teacher at the London Design & Engineering University Technical College in Newham, has been named a top ten finalist in the Global Teacher Prize 2023 from more than 7,000 nominations.
Judges said Ms Vohra faced immense challenges in becoming a teacher after a car crash at university but her unique curriculum using Lego is helping children in deprived areas learn about design engineering.
The prize, the largest of its kind, aims to recognise an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession and society.
It is organised in collaboration with the Varkey Foundation, UNESCO and Dubai Cares.
Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education at UNESCO, said: “Inspirational teachers such asâ¯Shafinaâ¯deserve recognition for their commitments to preparing children and youth to navigate a rapidly evolving world. Teachers play a leading role in transforming education for the future.”
Judges heard how Ms Vohra initially used Lego with a fidgety Year 7 class, but soon realised how much it boosted learning, and rolled it out further.
Ms Vohra undertook a PhD on the topic at Imperial College, and developed her curriculum in Denmark, enabling students to think through real-life engineering challenges such as climate change and biodiversity.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Global Teacher Prize, said: “Congratulations to Shafina for reaching the final 10. Her story clearly highlights the importance of education in tackling the great challenges ahead – from climate change to growing inequality to war and conflict.
“It is only by prioritising education that we can safeguard all our tomorrows. Education is the key to facing the future with confidence.”
The winner will be announced on November 8 at an awards ceremony taking place at UNESCO’s General Conference in Paris.
Also shortlisted across 130 countries are Annie Ohana from Canada, Deep Narayan Nayak from India, Nicolas Gaube from France, Sister Zeph from Pakistan, Eric Asomani Asante from Ghana, Mariette Wheeler from South Africa, Melissa Tracy from the United States, Geisha Bonilla from Chile and Artur Proidakov from Ukraine.
