The congratulatory calls haven’t stopped for Ranjitsinh Disale since he was awarded the much anticipated ‘Global Teacher’ prize and prize money of $1 million (Rs 7.38 crore) on Thursday, December 3 by the Varkey Foundation (estd. 2014).  Launching community awareness programmes in the field of girl’s education and introducing innovative teaching aids like textbooks with QR codes, audio and video lectures etc., the 32-year-old teacher at Paritewadi Zilla Parishad primary school, district Solapur, Maharashtra, was selected from among 12,000 nominations from 140 countries.Speaking to Dipta Joshi, Disale shares his views on being the first Indian to win the prestigious award and the big decision to share half the prize money with the other nine finalists.   

Q. You have already won awards for your innovations (in 2016 and 2018) within the country and have been recognised internationally, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella mentions you in his book – ‘Hit Refresh’, was winning the Global Teacher Prize still a surprise for you?

A. It surely was! I was not expecting to win because the competition and its standards are very high. There have been many Indians, much more qualified than me, who have been nominated and even reached among the top 10 finalists. However, no Indian teacher has won the award until now. I am not sure, but there is probably something missing in the way we Indians teach or probably present our thoughts etc. but we weren’t meeting their (Varkey Foundation’s) requirements. So yes, the award came as a big surprise.

Q. What do you think is going to be the biggest impact of this award for you and the teaching profession?

A. Firstly, I would like to thank educationist and philanthropist, Sunny Varkey and the Varkey Foundation for not just recognising me but the whole teaching community. The foundation’s award is a huge step towards giving teachers professional equity. I am hoping the fact that a Zilla Parishad teacher got the award proves to be a game changer in terms of society’s attitude towards Zilla Parishad schools and its teachers. Knowing that a Zilla Parishad teacher can also bring about positive change should make a big difference.

Q. Tell us about your experience in promoting education for the girl child.

A. Educating the girl child has always been a priority for us here at Paritewadi, given that underage marriage of girls was prevalent and their education not being taken seriously. Thanks to our parent and community awareness initiatives, we have managed to ensure 100 percent attendance of girl students in the schools and also put an end to child marriage.

Q. You believe teachers can change one’s outlook towards life. Did you too have an experience that changed your perception?

A. Teaching was not my first choice for a profession. I always wanted to be an engineer and am still interested in information technology. When I could not be an engineer, my father suggested I join the Teacher’s Training College at Wadala, Solapur to check if the teaching could be the profession for me.

I wasn’t really expecting much but my experience at the TTC not only changed my perception about the profession but it also ignited a love for teaching. My peers and trainers always encouraged my innovative teaching techniques etc.  It was then that I realised that teachers are the real changemakers and decided to be the change maker for my students.

Q. Why did you decide to share 50 percent of the prize money with the other nine finalists? That was a big decision!

A. Yes, it was a big decision but I believe, teachers don’t work for the income, teachers work for the outcome. I wanted to share my winnings because this win cannot just be about an Indian teacher trying to change the world, it has to be about an Indian teacher working with other teachers and making a bigger difference to education and society. We have to make a collective effort if we are to move ahead. Teachers across the world are doing their best to make a difference in children’s lives. Their work is not less important than mine and thus, I am first among equals here.

I would like to work with the other teachers, interact with their children and thus create a positive impact that goes beyond the country. I already teach children from eight countries though the ‘Let’s Cross The Borders’ – a global peace building programme that aims at building peaceful relations among children from different conflict zones. This gives me the opportunity to add students from another 10 countries to that list. I believe the world is my classroom and would like to reach out to as many children as possible.

Q. How and on what will you spend your share of the prize money?

A. The Varkey Foundation requires that all nominees declare the utilisation of the funds during the application stage itself. I have decided to set aside 30 percent from my share of the prize money for a ‘Teacher’s Innovation Fund’ that will promote innovations in the field of education. The remaining 20 percent prize money will be used for the ‘Let’s Cross The Borders’ programme. We have already connected with over 19,000 students from India, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, US, North Korea, Iraq and Iran and plan to extend that to many more countries.

Also read:

Indian teacher Ranjitsinh Disale wins Global Teacher Prize 2020

3 Indian teachers shortlisted for Global Teacher Prize 2020

Beyond Chalk-and-Talk: Interview with Dr Swaroop Rawal, finalist Global Teacher Prize 2019