Contest: $1 million award for World's Greatest Teacher

What can the world’s greatest teacher expect next year? How about a prize of One Million dollars! With Varkey GEMS Foundation (VGF), a UAE-based Indian education foundation, announcing an award of one million for the world's greatest teacher, a global search for him or her begins next year.

The award aims to promote and improve the status of teachers  along with highlighting their impact on people. An international jury committee will select the winner based on nominations made by individual nations around the world. PriceWaterhouseCoopers will audit the process.

Sunny Varkey, founder of VGF said in a press statement, " Our goal for this award is to emulate the Nobel Prizes, but in the field of education. We will endeavour to find the greatest teacher in the world starting in March 2014, at the Global Education and Skills Forum which will be held in Dubai, chaired by former US President Bill Clinton". He further added, "We will invite all countries of the world to participate in the prize through national nominations, and citizens of each nation will be encouraged to root for their candidates and their most illustrious teachers to create an atmosphere of global excitement about the selection of the greatest teacher".

The complete details will be announced early next year and nominations will formally open at the Global Education and Skills Forum in March, 2014.