Educator urges Chinese schools to leverage $1m Global Schools Prize

Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, winner of the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2025, has praised Chinese schools' "extraordinary" history of excellence and called on them to apply for the $1 million Global Schools Prize.

Applications for the new Varkey Foundation initiative, celebrating the world’s most innovative and impactful schools, opened on Sept 10 and will last until Nov 30, with the finalists and winner to be announced in May 2026.

He noted that the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results ranked Macao second in mathematics, while Hong Kong far surpassed the OECD average in reading and science.

He said the new award, organized by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with UNESCO, will honour schools that are reimagining education for the future.

Longlisted schools will receive a Global Schools Prize Badge for world-class impact across 10 categories, including in AI transformation, sustainability, peace-building and teacher development.

One extraordinary school will claim the Global Schools Prize and $500,000 to scale its vision, while 10 category winners will receive $50,000 each. 

The Global Schools Prize is open to government-run and privately funded schools worldwide that are delivering quality education. Applications are now open, and schools interested in applying can visit www.globalschoolsprize.org for more information.

Stefania Giannini, assistant director general for education at UNESCO, and Dame Christine Ryan, former chair of the Ofsted Board will co-chair the newly established Global Schools Prize Council, which also includes Andreas Schleicher, director of education and skills at the OECD, as well as former presidents and former education ministers. The Council will be part of a wider Global Schools Prize Academy, tasked with selecting the winner. 

Giannini note: "Around the world, schools are reimagining what is possible – finding new ways to inspire curiosity, strengthen resilience, and unlock the potential of every learner. By sharing these breakthroughs on a global stage, the prize reminds us that the power of education lies not only in knowledge, but in the creativity and collaboration that drive progress." 

Founded by renowned education pioneer and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, the Global Schools Prize joins the Global Teacher Prize and Global Student Prize, which he also founded, completing a powerful trilogy that celebrates educators, learners, and now schools as institutions of innovation and change.

The three prizes will spark a 360-degree conversation about what it takes to deliver the best possible education, equipping children to face the future with confidence, while rethinking the future of learning for generations to come. 

Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour said: "From student-led sustainability projects to reimagined curricula, some of the most powerful innovations are emerging in the classroom. By celebrating these efforts on a global stage, the prize ensures the voices and visions of students, teachers, school leaders, and parents help shape the future of education. That is why I call on China’s extraordinary schools to apply." 

Sunny Varkey stressed: "The Global Schools Prize is more than an award – it’s a movement to reimagine learning in a world of constant change. By recognising multiple winners, we shine a light on the many ways schools are driving progress – from innovation and teacher development to sustainability and student well-being." 

The inaugural Global Schools Prize will recognize schools in the following 10 categories — AI transformation; sustainability; arts, culture and creativity; character- and values-driven education; global citizenship and peace-building; health and well-being; overcoming adversity; SEND/inclusive education; STEM Education and teacher development.

Other members of the Global Schools Prize Council include Rosalia Arteaga, former president and vice-president of Ecuador, Nuno Crato, Portugal’s former education minister, Dina Ghobashy, director of education transformation, Microsoft, Jonnie Noakes, director of The Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning, Eton, 2019 Global Teacher Prize winner Peter Tabichi, 2023 Global Student Prize winner Nhial Deng, and Global Student Prize finalists Kenisha Arora and Kekhashan Basu.  

Please contact the writer at hanjingyan@chinadaily.com.cn