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| 5 Feb 2026 | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Global Teacher Prize |
Indian teacher Rouble Nagi, who transforms neglected and broken walls into large-scale, interactive murals that teach everything from literacy and numeracy to hygiene and environmental awareness, has been named the winner of the $1 million GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2026, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation, organised in collaboration with UNESCO. Now in its tenth year, the Global Teacher Prize is the largest award of its kind.
Rouble, who over the last two decades has helped bring more than one million children into the formal education system through the use of art, was selected from over 5,000 nominations and applications from 139 countries and was announced as the winner during a ceremony at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
Through her organisation, Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), Rouble has established more than 800 learning centres across India – safe, inspiring spaces in over 100 slums and villages where children who have never attended school can begin structured learning and be guided back into mainstream education. The centres also support children already enrolled in school, providing remedial education, emotional safety, and creative enrichment.
Central to Rouble’s work is her innovative concept of “Living Walls of Learning.” She transforms abandoned walls into open-air, interactive murals that teach literacy, numeracy, science, hygiene, history, environmental awareness, and social responsibility. These murals are not decorative artworks, but open-air classrooms that draw children into learning, engage parents, and turn entire neighbourhoods into partners in education.
Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize, GEMS Education, and The Varkey Foundation, said:
“Rouble Nagi represents the very best of what teaching can be – courage, creativity, compassion, and an unwavering belief in every child’s potential. By bringing education to the most marginalised communities, she has not only changed individual lives, but strengthened families and communities. Her work reminds us that teachers are the most powerful force for progress in our world.”
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, said:
“Congratulations, Rouble. This moment reminds us of a simple truth: teachers matter. UNESCO is honoured to join the Global Teacher Prize in celebrating teachers like you, who, through patience, determination, and belief in every learner, help children into school – an act that can change the course of a life. It affirms the right to learn, to dream, and to build a future with possibility.”
Rouble travels extensively across India, working directly with children in the learning centres and mentoring the teachers who lead them. She has recruited and trained more than 600 volunteer and paid educators, creating a scalable model that meets children where they are – academically, socially, and economically.
Her classrooms often operate in the most challenging conditions, shaped by poverty, child labour, early marriage, irregular attendance, and a lack of basic infrastructure. Rather than seeing these realities as barriers, Rouble designs education around real life: flexible schedules for working children, hands-on learning using recycled materials, and practical skills that demonstrate immediate value to families. As a result, her programmes have reduced dropout rates by more than 50% and significantly improved long-term school retention.
Rouble plans to use the $1 million prize money to build a Skilling Institute, offering free vocational and digital literacy training to help transform the life chances of millions more marginalised children and young people.
Alongside her work in education, Rouble is an internationally recognised artist and urban renewal pioneer. Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation and Rouble Nagi Design Studio, she has created more than 850 murals and sculptures and exhibited in over 200 shows worldwide. A member of the India Design Council, she was the first artist invited to exhibit at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, with her work selected for the President of India’s permanent collection. Her honours include the Jijamata Award, GR8 Award, MAP Noble Artist Award, and the HELLO! Urja Award.
