About the Malaysia Teacher Prize

Malaysia Teacher Prize 2022 is organized to appreciate, celebrate and highlight outstanding teachers in Malaysia. This prize is the first of its kind in Malaysia to recognise Malaysian teachers on a national scale and provide a platform to scale their best practices.

This notion of Malaysia Teacher Prize is also highlighted in its logo design. The integration of a top is a reference to Gasing Uri, a Malaysian spinning top commonly found in the state of Kelantan. One of the main ways of playing with it is a game of endurance. We believe that this resonates strongly with our teachers’ resilience throughout their careers, especially during the pandemic. Not to mention the obvious pun with Malaysia Teacher Prize’s journey to find the ‘top’ teacher.

Objectives

Malaysia Teacher Prize aims to highlight outstanding teachers in Malaysia by acknowledging the impact of Malaysian teachers' practices on their students and the community.

Malaysia Teacher Prize aims to scale sustainable teacher practices by empowering teachers for the purpose of mitigating the effects of the pandemic on education and promoting a more equitable education space.

The People Behind The Malaysia Teacher Prize

Cheryl Ann Fernando

CEO of PEMIMPIN GSL

We’re so honoured and humbled to work together with YTL Foundation, Varkey Foundation and the Global Teacher Prize to bring the National Teacher Prize to Malaysia. We believe the Malaysia Teacher Prize is a perfect platform to showcase the achievements of amazing Malaysian teachers and to provide them with the platform to share their best practices with other teachers in Malaysia. We hope that through the Malaysia Teacher Prize, we will be able to uncover great teachers who are constantly doing their best every day to ensure students continue to get access to quality education.

Samuel Isaiah

Programme Director of PEMIMPIN GSL

We believe that change happens when hearts and minds come together, and through our partnership with YTL Foundation, Varkey Foundation and the Global Teacher Prize, we seek to place Malaysian teachers in the limelight that they deserve via the Malaysia Teacher Prize.

Teachers are Malaysia’s heroes, but they are among some of the least appreciated in the current workforce. Especially in these last two years, teachers have been pushed to their limits, forced to adapt to new technology overnight, and found unconventional ways to engage with their students and the community they serve. Hence, the Malaysia Teacher Prize seeks to honour these teachers for their passion, innovation, and sheer grit as they give their best in educating future leaders of society.

Dato’ Kathleen Chew

Programme Director of YTL Foundation

YTL Foundation believes in building better societies through better education. Education is the basis on which every society progresses, and teachers are at the fundamental base of the ecosystem. As this year marks our 25th Anniversary as a foundation working to improve education in this country, we are delighted to sponsor the Malaysia Teacher Prize as a key part of our celebrations.

PEMIMPIN GSL

PEMIMPIN GSL is an organisation focused on providing high quality, evidence-based leadership training for teachers and school leaders from government schools in Malaysia. Since 2017, we have worked with over 800 schools from all over Malaysia and have reached nearly 2,000 teachers. PEMIMPIN’s program offerings cover school leaders, middle leaders and teacher leaders through a differentiated program specifically designed to meet the needs of these leaders.

PEMIMPIN GSL strives to reach out to as many schools throughout Malaysia providing customised support and strong leadership development training to help educators improve their lessons, build their leadership skills and to improve educational outcomes for their students. PEMIMPIN currently has a team of 12 people, from diverse backgrounds. We are funded by a range of corporate organizations including YTL Foundation, ECM Libra Foundation, Sime Darby Foundation and Yayasan Hasanah.

YTL Foundation

YTL Foundation was founded in 1997 on the belief that education is the basis on which every society progresses. By developing and improving education in the communities in which it operates, YTL Foundation aims to empower individuals and communities to be catalysts of change to enrich and benefit society. Over the years, YTL Foundation has provided aid to deserving individuals who would otherwise be denied opportunities to pursue higher education. More recently, YTL Foundation expanded its role; organising workshops, talks and conferences to enrich and inspire educators, students and parents, as well as programmes to bring 21st Century teaching and learning into schools. Through programmes, funding, thought leadership and by championing the use of technology, backed by the YTL Group’s 65 year heritage of nation building, YTL Foundation hopes to build better societies, through better education.

Varkey Foundation

As the organizer of the Global Teacher Prize, the Varkey Foundation is pleased to partner with PEMIMPIN GSL. Together the Varkey Foundation and PEMIMPIN GSL, are working to build the status of teachers to ensure that the quality of teaching is enhanced, and education outcomes improve. The Varkey Foundation’s vision is a quality education for every child – through boosting the status of teachers and celebrating the profession.

ECM Libra Foundation

ECM Libra Foundation was established in August 2004 to support education for underprivileged Malaysians, irrespective of race, religion or creed. We believe access to quality education and leadership development create the best opportunities for the poor, many of whom have been mired despite the nation’s economic progress over the past decades, to break the poverty cycle. As a compassion-driven philanthropy, the Foundation seeks to promote the well-being of the poor by providing financial assistance and breakthrough solutions to inspire a generation of change.