Maharashtra teacher wins Global Teacher Prize 2020, gives away half of $1 million prize money

An Indian primary school teacher was awarded the title of Global Teacher Prize 2020 along with a huge fortune of USD 1 million on Thursday. Ranjith Disale, a 32-year-old teacher from Maharashtra emerged a winner from the ten finalists for his efforts to promote girls' education and for encouraging a quick-response (QR) coded textbook revolution in India.

Disale had an epic reaction to his win when actor Stephen Fry announced his name as the winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2020 at a virtual ceremony broadcast on Thursday from the Natural History Museum in London. He was with his parents who were elated with their son's win.

Disale, in a beautiful gesture of generosity, has decided to share 50 percent of his prize money with his fellow finalists. This is the first time in history when a winner decided to split the prize amount with their competitors.

When Disale arrived at the Zilla Parishad Primary School at Paritewadi in Solapur in 2009, it was a dilapidated building, sandwiched between a cattle shed and a storeroom.

The impact of his interventions has been that there are now no reported teenage marriages in the village and 100 per cent attendance of girls at the school.

"In this hard time, teachers are giving their best to make sure every student has access to their birthright of a good education," said Disale.

The Global Teacher Prize is paid out in equal instalments over 10 years, with the Varkey Foundation providing winners with financial counselling and support through an ambassadorial role for the profession.

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