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Inspiring Indian Educator Wins Global Teacher Prize and Shares $1M Prize Money With Fellow Finalists

By Arnesia Young on December 22, 2020

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Indian schoolteacher Ranjitsinh Disale was chosen from a pool of over 12,000 nominees hailing from all over the world to receive the 2020 Global Teacher Prize. Set to receive $1 million in prize money, the altruistic educator announced that he would share half his winnings with the nine other Top 10 finalists. In the six-year history of the Global Teacher Prize, he is the first winner to ever take such an action.

Thanks to his magnanimity, each of the nine other finalists will receive just over $55,000. “I believe that if I share this prize money with nine teachers, it means I can scale up their work,” Disale said in an interview after the virtual ceremony. “Their incredible work is still worthy… If I share that prize money with the rest of the teachers, they will get a chance to continue their work, and that same way we can reach out and lighten the lives of many students, as many students as we can.”

Disale’s work and generosity were even recognized by the Dalai Lama, who took to Twitter to congratulate the winner and express his admiration for the teacher’s generosity. “He has set an example of compassion in action,” wrote the spiritual leader. The inspiring teacher's compassion and dedication to education have already had a grand impact on the life of his students at Zilla Parishad Primary School in India. And now, with the help of $1 million, he and his fellow finalist will likely change the lives of countless students around the world.

To learn more about the Global Teacher Prize and its 2020 finalists, visit their website.