Palestinian Teacher Wins 2016 Global Teacher Prize

Hanan Al Hroub. Photo: TES

Hanan Al Hroub teaches at the Samiha Khalil High School in the Palestinian West Bank city of Al-Bireh, where students witness unimaginable acts of violence in their everyday lives. Stabbings, shootings and bombings happen regularly in Al-Bireh because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ms. Hroub was inspired to become a teacher after her own children “were deeply traumatized by a shooting incident they witnessed on their way home from school”. Her classes stand for a commitment to peace, conflict resolution and forgiveness. Hannan's teaching led to a significant “decline in violent behaviour in schools where this is usually a frequent occurrence”, because she gives special importance to building student teamwork, trust, relationships and respect for others.

Hanan was awarded the Global Teacher Prize at the 2016 Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai. This $1 million prize “is presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession”.