Rouble Nagi Wins Global Teacher Prize, Ignites the TeacherFIRE® Revolution Way, and Strengthens the Culture of Family Strengthening and Child Safeguarding in Education and Beyond

Indian educator Rouble Nagi has been awarded the $1 million Global Teacher Prize for establishing more than 800 learning centres and educational murals. Her work reflects the TeacherFIRE® Revolution by empowering teachers, safeguarding children, and transforming communities through purpose-driven education.

At the World Government Summit in Dubai, Nagi was celebrated for the impact of the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, which has created more than 800 learning centres. These centres provide structured learning for children who have never attended school and support those already enrolled. Educational murals, covering literacy, mathematics, science, and history, also transform public spaces into interactive classrooms, making learning more accessible and engaging across communities.

The 10th Global Teacher Prize recognised Nagi for innovative, community-based education. She plans to use the award to establish an institute that will provide free vocational training and expand opportunities for children and communities.

The Global Teacher Prize aligns with the TeacherFIRE® Revolution by celebrating educators committed to child safeguarding and protection as part of everyday teaching. Two implications stand out:

1.External motivation: Recognition and support encourage teachers to continue purposeful work.

2.Culture-building: Recognition strengthens a professional culture where safeguarding and protection are embedded in daily practice.

When teachers are valued and equipped, children benefit from safer, more supportive learning environments, and safeguarding becomes a central mission, not a peripheral task.

Nagi’s achievement demonstrates how empowering teachers benefits children and strengthens communities. It reinforces a core principle: teachers’ well-being and capacity are inseparable from children’s rights, protection, and development. Public recognition also encourages other educators to embrace child protection and high-quality teaching with renewed purpose.

Her work also echoes that of Efren Peñaflorida of the Philippines, who was named CNN Hero of the Year in 2009 for pioneering “pushcart classrooms” (mobile schools) that brought learning to children in underserved communities, including those near dumpsites.

This underscores innovation, a core principle of the TeacherFIRE® Revolution. By taking education to the underserved, we confront root drivers of vulnerability, including poverty and social exclusion, while strengthening social protection and advancing a culture of Family Strengthening and Child Safeguarding and Protection.

Innovations like Nagi’s and Efren’s are especially worthy of recognition and emulation because they also meet children’s needs for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to participate meaningfully in a culture of Family Strengthening and Child Safeguarding. In doing so, they help children recognize risk, seek help, and contribute to safer, healthier communities.

In countries with large youth populations, the future depends on the quality and motivation of teachers. The Global Teacher Prize, consistent with the TeacherFIRE® Revolution, shows that valuing teachers strengthens a culture of child protection. When teachers are empowered, children thrive, and communities move closer to societies that prioritise the dignity, safety, and rights of every child.