Funmi Ogundare
The International Education group at Cambridge University Press and Assessment has announced Tajudeen Odufeso, a teacher from Isara Secondary School, Isara Remo, Ogun State, as the regional winner of the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards.
The Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards is a global competition celebrating the achievements of teachers worldwide. Now in its sixth year, the competition highlights the important role that teachers play in shaping the lives of their learners and preparing them for the world.
It allows students, parents, and peers to nominate a current primary or secondary teacher for their outstanding commitment to their students’ education.
For his feat as a regional winner, Odufeso will receive £500 worth of books for his class, a trophy, and participate in a regional awards ceremony. He will also receive publicity for himself and his school during the coming year, as well as appear on a ‘thank you’ page on new Cambridge textbooks.
Odufeso has been named the regional winner in Sub-Saharan Africa for his dedication to equity and inclusivity, and his advocacy for sustainable education and empowerment. The judges commended Odufeso for his student-centred teaching methods that allow students to effectively collaborate and improve their critical thinking skills, as well as applauded for the online learning classes he ran for students in vulnerable communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an interview with journalists, Odufeso expressed excitement about the recognition saying, “I am deeply honoured to receive the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Award for our region. This recognition not only highlights my personal commitment, but is also a testament to the resilience, enthusiasm, and relentless pursuit of excellence by my students. It reaffirms our collective belief that education is a transformative tool, empowering us to make meaningful changes in our community and beyond.”
The award, he stated, will inspire him to continue advocating for innovative and inclusive educational practices.
Rod Smith, Managing Director of International Education in a statement, explained that 44 million teachers are needed worldwide by 2030 if the world is to meet the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 of inclusive and equitable quality education.
Smith said, “For this to happen, at Cambridge, we believe we should be celebrating the profession and highlighting the hard-working teachers currently instilling a love of learning, often in difficult environments.
“We launched the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards to ensure we took the time to thank those preparing their students to be ready for the world, whether tackling challenging educational issues like climate change or breaking down cultural barriers.”
He stated that this year saw a record number of nominations from people wanting to thank a teacher. Cambridge received 14,840 nominations across 141 countries, topping the previous record by over 1,000.
He congratulated Odufeso for his immense accomplishments, saying that the move will inspire teachers and learners across in Nigeria.
