The finalists were announced on November 11 by the Varkey Foundation, the London-based charity that grants the award. The finalists also included teachers from Brazil, India, Italy, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, the Republic of Korea, the UK and the US.
Phuong said that the title is not only a recognition of herself but also students in mountainous areas and the country’s education sector as a whole.
Young Muong ethnic teacher Ha Anh Phuong is a graduate of the Hanoi University. After getting her master’s degree in English, Phuong decided to return to her hometown in Thanh Son district’s Huong Can commune, a remote commune where more than 90% of the students are from ethnic minorities.
Earlier, in March this year, she made it into the list’s top 50, receiving a congratulatory letter from Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha.
Previously in early 2020, Phuong received a full scholarship from the Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Programme (SEAYLP) and was recognised as a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert.
The Global Teacher Prize is presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession across the globe.
The Varkey Foundation established the prize in 2014, to recognise and celebrate the impact teachers have around the world – not only on their students, but on the communities around them.
