What is the Global Teacher Prize? | 2025

The Global Teacher Prize serves to underline the importance of educators and the fact that, throughout the world, their efforts deserve to be recognised and celebrated. It seeks to acknowledge the impacts of the very best teachers – not only on their students but on the communities around them. Inadequate education is a major factor behind the social, political, economic and health issues faced by the world today. We believe education has the power to reduce poverty, prejudice and conflict. Teachers work tirelessly to provide an education for children around the world so the status of teachers is critically important to our global future. Teacher status has a significant impact on recruitment, retention, job satisfaction and performance. In 2013, the Varkey Foundation commissioned Populus, the leading research and strategy consultancy, to gather in-depth opinions from 21 countries to explore attitudes about the teaching profession; teachers’ salaries; students’ attitudes towards educators and how participants rated their own education systems. The results, published as the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Status Index, formed the first comprehensive attempt to compare the status of teachers across the world. In many countries, it was clear that the profession’s status had dropped and the findings shocked Sunny Varkey, the Varkey Foundation’s Chairman, whose parents had both been teachers. He founded the Global Teacher Prize as a response with the aim of raising the profession’s profile. Play your part in helping with our shared mission to do whatever it takes to give teachers the respect that they are owed and finally give every child their birthright: a great education. Together, we are strongest when we stand united, and loudest when we speak together. By talking about education, you can help ensure the world doesn't forget the United Nation's sustainable development goal promising every child a good education by 2030. Please watch, subscribe to our channel, and start talking education. ✨  / teacherprize   ✨  / teacherprize   ✨  / teacherprize   ✨  / varkeyfdn