Dubai, March 22. Peter Tabichi, a science teacher of the Franciscan order in Kenya, was awarded the US $1 million (Rs.6.9 crore) Global Teacher Prize at the 7th Global Skills and Education Forum (GSEF), a three-day conference in Dubai hosted by the Varkey Foundation (estb.2010).

Over 2,000 delegates from around the world felicitated Tabichi, who teaches at the Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Pwani village, Kenya, where 95 percent of students are from socio-economically disadvantaged households and one-third are orphans. During the three-day conference, delegates from 144 countries debated and shared ideas on innovative ways and means to reach quality education to every child worldwide. One head of government, 40 ministers of education, 297 speakers and over 100 teachers from around the world participated in the conference.
“Education is facing a global crisis with technology and bureaucracy overshadowing teachers. Education technology promised much but has not delivered its potential because in all the conferences I’ve been to around the world, I never saw a teacher invited to be part of discussions. A world of constant reinvention will be the future of our children and teachers are best placed to guide them,” said Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation and GEMS Menasa Ltd which owns and/or manages over 70 K-12 schools in 11 countries, addressing GSEF.

A jury and delegates at GSEF 2019 also voted three edtech start-ups — Ubongo, Tanzania, Praxi Labs, Egypt and Dost, India — as winners of the foundation’s second Next Billion Edtech Prize. All these start-ups were awarded $25,000 each.

TDS Summer School

Dehradun, March 23. The sixth residential Summer @ Doon Leadership Programme of The Doon School (TDS), Dehradun, will be held during May 21-June 3. The programme is open to all children (including girls) in classes IX-XII “who are passionate about making a positive impact on the world around them”.

“The Doon School has long been associated with innovative thinking and leadership and is passionate about being at the forefront of educational opportunity for our students. Summer @ Doon offers a very special experience that will enable a wider student body of senior school students to discover essential qualities within themselves that will help them on their journey of action, leadership, service and fulfillment. The two-week long programme will be an adventure that promises to be challenging and intellectually demanding, enabling students to meet and make like-minded friends, and to learn from each other,” says Matthew Raggett, headmaster of TDS.

Applications for this year’s programme close on April 30.

Pearl’s new Bangalore campus

Bangalore, March 19. The Delhi-based Pearl Academy announced the launch of a greenfield campus in Bangalore. Expected to admit its first batch in August 2020, this will be the institute’s fifth campus in India and sole campus in peninsular India. It will begin offering the academy’s flagship courses in fashion, communication and product design and over time, add other industry-oriented study programmes.

“Bangalore houses some of the best fashion and design companies of India which offers a huge opportunity for us. Every year, students from the south enroll in our campuses in north and western India for our creative courses. With this expansion, we are looking forward to higher visibility in this region, and easy accessibility for students from south India looking to pursue creative courses,” said Bharat Kharbanda, COO, Pearl Academy, speaking on the occasion.

Pearson-betterU concordat

New Delhi, March 5. The Vancouver (Canada)-based betterU Education Corp has inked an agreement with Pearson India to provide the latter’s Pearson Professional Programmes on its India education-to-employment platform. Pearson Professional Programmes are being offered by top-ranked higher education institutions including Columbia University and the London School of Business among others, to help working professionals update their skills and progress in their careers.

“In today’s fast-paced business climate, it is important to develop the right skills within professionals aspiring to become tomorrow’s business leaders. We are delighted to partner with betterU to offer our cutting-edge programmes that will help professionals to sharpen their skills to meet business and industry needs,” said Varun Dhamija, vice president of Pearson India, speaking on the occasion.

Strathclyde case study

Kozhikode, March 23. The redevelopment programme of the 120-year-old Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls (GVHSS) at Nadakkavu, Kozhikode (Kerala) has become a case study on venture philanthropy in education. Written by Dr. Sreevas Sahasranamam, a chancellor’s fellow at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (UK), the case study titled ‘The Faizal & Shabana Foundation: A Venture Philanthropic Approach to Education’ will be taught in corporate entrepreneurship classes at Strathclyde.

The study details refurbishment of the GVHSS through large philanthropic investments made by the Faizal and Shabana Foundation. It highlights how a private philanthropic organisation executed a school project despite numerous official and institutional procedural challenges.