Introduction
PEMIMPIN GSL (PGSL), in partnership with YTL Foundation and ECM Libra Foundation (together with PGSL, the “Sponsors”), is launching the annual Malaysia Teacher Prize (“Prize”) to recognise the importance of the teaching profession and promote excellence in teaching. Each annual Prize is a new application cycle (“Application Cycle”).
Eligibility
1. To be eligible, an Applicant must:
- a. be at least eighteen (18) years old at time of entry;
- be of Malaysian citizenship;
- be currently a working teacher in Malaysia who teaches students that are in compulsory schooling, and are between the ages of five and eighteen. Compulsory schooling include public schools, private schools, schools by non-profit organisations that abide by the Malaysian national syllabus;
- spend at least 10 hours per week teaching children, and commit to being in the teaching profession for the next 5 years. In the case of teachers who spend less than 10 hours per week, they may apply if they serve in specific roles such as school principals, counsellors etc.;
- have at least 5 years of teaching experience in any kind of school from any state in Malaysia;
- not be prohibited from participating in the Prize or receiving the Grand Prize (as defined herein) under the law of Malaysia;
- not, nor any Connected Person (as defined herein) of an Applicant, have a criminal record;
- not, nor any Connected Person of an Applicant, have conducted themselves (by act or omission) in such a way as to bring the teaching profession, the Sponsors, their affiliates, their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, and/or subsidiaries (“Sponsor Parties”) into disrepute or to have been adversely prejudicial to the interests of any of them (as may be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsors); and
- not be a previous Malaysia Teacher Prize Winner or a previous Malaysia Teacher Prize Top 10 Finalists.
- not be a previous Global Teacher Prize Winner or a previous Global Teacher Prize Finalist.
2. A Connected Person of an Applicant is: the Applicant’s spouse, civil partner, any person with whom the Applicant lives as a partner in an enduring family relationship, siblings, a child or stepchild of the Applicant or Applicant’s sibling, a child or stepchild of an Applicant’s partner (if living with the Applicant and under the age of 18), or the Applicant’s parents; and any legal person, trust or partnership, the managerial responsibilities of which are discharged by the Applicant or any of the aforementioned persons, or which is directly or indirectly controlled by such a person, or which is set up for the benefit of such a person, or the economic interests of which are substantially equivalent to those of such a person.
How to enter
3. To enter, complete the application form and follow the instructions on the website www.malaysiateacherprize.org.
Selection Criteria
4. The judges will evaluate Applications based on the following criteria:
- Providing an engaging narrative of their story which can inspire fellow teachers and the general public besides uplifting the teaching profession
- Employing effective instructional practices that are replicable and scalable to influence the quality of Malaysian education.
- Employing innovative instructional practices that address the particular challenges of the school, community or country and which have shown sufficient evidence to suggest they could be effective in addressing such challenges in a new way.
- Achieving demonstrable student learning outcomes in the classroom.
- Impact in the community beyond the classroom that provides unique and distinguished models of excellence for the teaching profession and others.
Selection Process
5. Once the Application process has closed, Applications will be scored and read by a panel of judges who will shortlist the Applications (“Shortlisted Applications”)..
6. Shortlisted Applicants will be informed to complete a Secondary Application within a stipulated time frame.
7. Completed Secondary Applications will be scored and read by a panel of judges who will select the Applicants for interviews.
8. The Top 10 Finalists will be selected following the interview, subject to additional screening, background and reference check.
9. Another interview will be conducted by a judging panel to select the Winner and the Top 5 Finalists among the Top 10 Finalists, subject to additional screening, background and reference checks.
Post Selection
10. The Winner of the Prize (or, in the event of death, their personal representative(s) or beneficiary(ies), as applicable) will receive RM 50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand Ringgit Malaysia Only) (the “Grand Prize”), which will be paid in the following two tranches over a period of two (2) years, subject to any tax or other withholding required under applicable law, and otherwise in accordance with these Terms and Conditions:
- 1st tranche: RM 25,000.00 within three (3) months after the Ceremony
- 2nd tranche: RM 25,000.00 within one (1) year after payment of 1st tranche
11. The remaining Top 5 Finalists, which shall not include the Winner, will be awarded (or, in the event of death, their personal representative(s) or beneficiary(ies), as applicable) RM 5,000 (Five Thousand Ringgit Malaysia Only) (the “Consolation Prizes”) by the Sponsors, subject to any tax or other withholding required under applicable law, and otherwise in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
12. The Top 5 Finalists, including the Winner, shall (and shall use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that their Connected persons shall) not use any prize money for:
- any purpose that may bring the teaching profession, the Prize or any of the Sponsor Parties into disrepute or may be adversely prejudicial to the interests of any of the Sponsor Parties (as may be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsors), or
- any illegal activity (including without limitation bribery or corruption), or
- any political or quasi-political activity including, without limitation, being a member of or making a donation directly or indirectly to any political party or trade union organisation.
13. The Top 5 Finalists, including the Winner, shall provide a written description on the details of how the Prize and the Consolation Prizes have been spent along with supporting materials such as pictures and videos whenever necessary.
14. The Top 5 Finalists, including the Winner, must provide satisfactory evidence to the Sponsors that they have (or have opened) a bank account in their own name. The Sponsors will only remit funds to a bank account in the Top 5 Finalists and the Winner’s sole name.
15. The Top 10 Finalists, including the Winner and the Top 5 Finalists, will have the opportunity to attend professional development sessions provided free-of-charge by the Sponsors.
16. During the subsequent five (5) year period following the Malaysia Teacher Prize Award Ceremony (“Ceremony”), the Winner and Top 10 Finalists shall (and shall use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that their Connected Persons shall) not conduct themselves (by act or omission) nor associate themselves with any person or organisation who conducts themselves (by act or omission), in such a way as to bring the teaching profession or any of the Sponsor Parties into disrepute (as may be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsors).
17. For a period of five (5) years after the date of the award of the Prize to, all Top 10 Finalists, including the The Top 5 Finalists and the Winner, shall serve as Ambassadors for the Sponsors and the Prize. This shall include but not be limited to attending events, speaking to the media, undertaking training and other commitments outside of working hours on weekends and/or on holidays. The Sponsors will pay for and arrange all travel and accommodation.
18. For a period of five (5) years after the date of the award of the Prize, the Top 10 Finalists shall continue to teach or provide educational support to students between the ages of 5 and 18 in a school setting (unless due to natural retirement).
19. The Ambassadors will provide the Sponsors with not less than 3 days prior written notice of any proposed public speaking engagement, the issue of a press or public statement or the giving of an interview or other publicity event in whatever media (in person, or online or via digital or social media) (“Publicity”) that is to occur in the event that such Publicity will or will likely contain any reference or connection to the Sponsors or the Prize. The Winner shall brief and consult with the Sponsors (and, where required by the Sponsors, its public relations adviser) on the proposed form, nature and content of the Publicity and shall make the changes to the Publicity required by the Sponsors to ensure that the Publicity is not likely to bring any Sponsor Party into disrepute or be adversely prejudicial to the interests of any Sponsor Party (as may be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsors).
Conditions and Limitations
20. Each Applicant is limited to one application per Application Cycle.
21. Applicants who do not progress to the Shortlisted Application stage or beyond will not receive notification.
22. Entries will not be returned.
23. Applicants will not be reimbursed for any costs incurred in connection with submitting the Application.
24. All submitted entries cannot be edited.
25. The Sponsors are not responsible for lost, late, or misdirected entries.
26. Upon submission, each Applicant grants the Sponsors a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, sub-licensable and worldwide licence to use and modify the Application, in whole or in part, for commercial and other purposes, without any payment or other consideration, for use in any media now known or hereafter discovered, in perpetuity, to the extent legally permissible.
27. By entering this Prize, each Applicant forever discharges and releases the Sponsor Parties from any and all liability, claims, causes of action, suits, and demands of any kind (“Claims”) arising from or in connection with the Prize.
28. The Applicant also indemnifies the Sponsor Parties from all Claims arising from third parties in relation to the applicant’s participation in the Prize or the breach of any of these Terms and Conditions by the Applicant.
29. Each Applicant warrants and represents that they:
- own and have unrestricted rights to all intellectual property rights in all of the content of their Application materials and that they represent their own (and no one else’s) original work; and
- have the authority to submit these materials and to grant the licence described herein.
30. By entering the Prize, each Applicant shall fully indemnify the Sponsor Parties for all third party Claims arising directly or indirectly from breach of this warranty and/or representation.
31. Each Applicant agrees to any Sponsor Party using their name and likeness in publicity without notice or any additional compensation, except where prohibited by applicable law. The Winner and Top 10 Finalists acknowledges that Sponsors have sole discretion in the publication and broadcast of the Winner’s and the Top 10 Finalists’ names, voices, and/or likeness, the fact that they won, and all matters incidental thereto. The Sponsors are not obligated to attribute an Application to the Applicant who submitted it.
32. At any time at the Sponsors’ discretion, an Applicant may be required to provide proof of compliance with any of these Terms and Conditions. An Applicant shall provide proof of compliance within 5 days of the request being made.
33. By participating in the Prize, each Applicant agrees and consents to the processing of Personal Data provided to the Sponsors and/or the Sponsor Parties for the purposes of the Prize and as set forth in these Terms and Conditions. For the avoidance of doubt, the words “Personal Data” and “processing” as used herein shall have the same meaning ascribed to in the Malaysian Personal Data Protection Act 2010.
34. All Top 5 Finalists, including the Winner, will be solely responsible for any and all taxes incurred by their participation in the Prize. The Sponsors will report or withhold any individual winnings in accordance with applicable law.
35. The Sponsors reserve the right to terminate the Prize without awarding the Prize if no eligible winner claims the Grand Prize and/or the Consolation Prizes within the required time.
36. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms and Conditions, the Sponsors may, where applicable:
- stop paying any and all future tranche(s) of the Grand Prize and/or the Consolation Prizes; and/or
- require any of the Top 5 Finalists, including the Winner (as the case may be), on written demand to pay back within a specified period an amount (in a lump sum or by instalments) equal to any prize money already paid to such Top 5 Finalist; and/or
- revoke the titles of being a Top 10 Finalist, Top 5 Finalist or a Winner, if he or she:
- was not in fact eligible in accordance with all of the requirements of section 2 of these Terms and Conditions at the time the Application was made; or
- submitted any Application material that was false or misleading in any way; or
- commits a breach of any Term and Condition and that breach is irremediable or (if that breach is remediable) fails to remedy that breach within a period of 20 days after being notified in writing to do so; or
- fails or ceases to meet the requirements of any regulatory body whose consent is required to enable he or she to undertake all or any of his or her duties as a teacher and/or is guilty of a serious breach of the rules and regulations of such regulatory body; or
- is guilty of any gross misconduct in the course of his or her employment; or
- is, or any Connected person of his or hers is, convicted of any criminal offence (other than an offence under any road traffic legislation in Malaysia or elsewhere for which a fine or non-custodial penalty is imposed); or
- is declared bankrupt or makes any arrangement with or for the benefit of creditors or has a county court administration order (or equivalent outside of Malaysia) made against him or her; or
- commits any fraud or dishonesty or acts in any manner which in the opinion of the Sponsors brings or is likely to bring a Sponsor Party into disrepute or is adverse to the interests of a Sponsor Party; or
- commits any offence under any applicable anti-bribery or corruption laws, including without limitation, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009; or
- commits a tax evasion facilitation offence under applicable law or regulation of Malaysia or elsewhere; or
- ceases to have mental capacity within the meaning of the Malaysian Mental Health Act 2001; or
- conducts himself or herself (or any Connected person of his or her conducts himself or herself) by act or omission in such a way as to bring the teaching profession or any of the Sponsor Parties into disrepute or to be adversely prejudicial to the interests of any of them (as may be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsors).
37. These Terms and Conditions are subject to written modification by the Sponsors in their sole discretion and any modification shall be binding upon all Applicants being notified of the same.
38. This Prize is void where prohibited or restricted by applicable law. Each of these Terms and Conditions is subject to applicable law.
39. These Terms and Conditions constitute all of the terms and conditions that relate to the Prize and supersede and extinguish all previous discussions, correspondence, negotiations, drafts, agreements, promises, assurances, warranties, representations, arrangements and understandings between them, whether written or oral, relating to the Prize.
40. An Applicant’s rights and obligations under these Terms and Conditions may not be assigned, transferred, mortgaged, charged, declared a trust over or dealt in any other manner.
41. If any Term or Condition or part-Term or Condition is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed deleted, but that shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the rest of these Terms and Conditions.
42. The Prize and these Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws of Malaysia, without regard to any conflicts of law principles. Any and all claims or disputes arising out of or in connection with the Prize or these Terms and Conditions shall be subject to the jurisdiction of Malaysian courts. By entering this Prize, the Applicants agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the Malaysian courts.