Global Teacher Prize: David Swanston into world's best teacher final

A UK teacher has made it through to the final of the world's best teacher award.

David Swanston - or Mr Swanston to his students - said he was "shocked and humbled" to be in the final 10 after 8,000 nominations from 121 countries.

He is the deputy principal at St Vincent's School for children with visual impairments in Liverpool, England.

"The children are very excited we're in the final. I say we because it is a team effort, it is for the whole school, the pupils and the staff," he said.

The Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, in partnership with Unesco, recognises exceptional teachers and carries a prize of $1 million (£729,051).

'Destined to be a teacher'

Many of Mr Swanston's students have gone on to take part in further education and get jobs, while one has competed in the Paralympic Games

Mr Swanston said he was "destined to be a teacher" having been "inspired" by his PE teachers as a child growing up in Scotland.

He helped set up Sightbox, which provides sport and education tools for visually impaired and blind people.

He said he would donate some of the prize money to the charity.

"If I win, I hope to provide more items and remote resources and send it to more countries and the scope for children to come to St Vincent's," Mr Swanston said.​

Previous winners of the world's best teacher

Ranjitsinh Disale, a teacher from a village school in India who improved education for girls, was crowned last year's best global teacher. He shared his winnings with the nine runners-up.

Brother Peter Tabichi, a maths and physics teacher from Kenya, won the award in 2019. He teaches in a secondary school in a village in Africa's Rift Valley.

In 2018, Andria Zafirakou, a textiles teacher in London was the first ever UK winner of the Global Teacher Prize.

A virtual ceremony to announce this year's winner will take place in Paris, France, on 10 November.