Dubai: India’s Rouble Nagi, a Mumbai-based social science teacher who taught on slum walls, has won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2026 at the World Government Summit.
The award was presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum alongside Sunny Varkey, founder of GEMS Education and the Varkey Foundation, underscoring the prize’s global stature and its strong ties to the UAE’s education ecosystem.
Nagi earned the recognition for building a grassroots education movement that reaches children in slums and rural communities across India through Misaal India and the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation. Through this work, she uses art not as decoration but as a gateway to literacy, numeracy, and self-belief, transforming creativity into a powerful tool for access and empowerment.
800 Learning Centres, 20 Years of Work
Over the past two decades, her initiative has built more than 800 learning centres while mobilising a network of 600 volunteers and paid educators. Together, they focus on children often excluded from formal schooling due to poverty, migration, and social barriers.
At the heart of the model is her “Living Walls of Learning” concept. Instead of confining education to classrooms, she transforms neighbourhood walls into visual learning hubs. Murals double as open textbooks, turning streets and courtyards into shared educational spaces.
Beyond basic academics, the programme integrates life skills, vocational awareness, and creative expression. As a result, the goal extends beyond enrolment to sustained retention and long-term confidence building.
Reflecting on the impact, Nagi said the recognition fuels her mission forward. “This gives me the momentum to go further, reaching more children, breaking down barriers, and ensuring every learner can not only access education, but stay and succeed.”
A Global Platform for Teachers
Marking its tenth year, the Global Teacher Prize, run by the Varkey Foundation in partnership with UNESCO, continues to spotlight educators whose influence extends far beyond traditional classrooms. Over the years, the initiative has drawn more than 100,000 nominations worldwide, reflecting its growing global reach and prestige.
Last year, the award went to Saudi Arabia’s Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, recognised for his extensive community service and his work supporting gifted orphans and prisoners through education.
Against this backdrop, Rouble Nagi’s win places grassroots, art-driven learning models firmly on the global stage. More broadly, it signals a shift in how educational impact is measured, valuing community transformation, accessibility, and social innovation alongside academic achievement.
Indian teacher Rouble Nagi receives the $1-million Global Teacher Prize at the World Governments Summit 2026 in Dubai, presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, alongside GEMS Education founder Sunny Varkey.
Photo: Virendra Saklani
