They go beyond the call of duty!

Samuel Isaiah and Norhailmi Abdul Mutalib are no ordinary teachers but are someone who has done incredible work in educating young children. Samuel’s dedication, determination and innovation in creating the interest to learn among the Orang Asli children have seen tremendous improvement in the children’s passing rate for English from a negligible 30 percent to an average of 80 percent. Fondly known to the Orang Asli community in Runchang, Pahang as Cikgu Sam, Samuel has been named a top ten finalist among 12,000 nominees who are eyeing the Global Teacher Prize 2020. He is the eighth of the top 10 finalists and he will be competing for this award with other finalists from Italy, UK, USA, South Africa, Nigeria, India and South Korea. Norhailmi empowers his students, majority of them from low income background to let them decide how they will learn. He applies collaborative strategies to help them develop from individual learners into charismatic collaborators and leaders. He has also travelled around the country to inspire other teachers through workshops and seminars. Norhailmi was named Science Ambassador for the Community by the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation in 2016 and the Ministry of Education’s first Icon Teacher for STEM in 2017. He has been picked as one of the top 50 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize 2020. The Global Teacher Prize is a US$ I million award, presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. The Prize was established by the Varkey Foundation in 2014 to recognise and celebrate the impact the teachers have around the world on their students and the communities around them. We at FaveKad believe in you, Samuel and Norhailmi. We wish you perseverance and dedication. Impossible is a word for those who are not determined. You will make it because of your strong dedication and determination. Best wishes to both of you.