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Now a prominent maths teacher, Woo is famous for his
YouTube channel on the subject, which now has more than
190,000 subscribers.
Among his string of achievements, Woo was one of 12
Australian teachers honoured at the Commonwealth Bank
Teaching Awards last year, and he received the 2017 Sydney
University Outstanding Achievements of a Young Alumni Award.
Most recently, Woo was the first teacher to be named Australia’s
Local Hero at the 2018 Australia Day Awards, and also delivered
the NSW Australia Day address.
Global Teacher Prize founder Sunny Varkey said the winner of
the awards was due to be announced at the Global Education &
Skills Forum in Dubai on 18 March.
“I want to congratulate Eddie Woo for being selected as a top
10 finalist from such a huge number of talented and dedicated
teachers,” Varkey said.
“I hope his story will inspire those looking to enter the teaching
profession and also shine a powerful spotlight on the incredible
work teachers do all over Australia and throughout the world
every day.
“The thousands of nominations and applications we
received from every corner of the planet is testimony to the
achievements of teachers and the enormous impact they have
on all of our lives.”
The Global Teacher Prize is in its fourth year, with finalists
selected from the top 50 shortlist released in December last year.
The NSW minister for education, Rob Stokes, has also paid
tribute to Woo for being recognised among the top 10 teachers
in the world.
“What a wonderful accolade for one of Australia’s great
teachers,” Stokes said.
“Eddie was initially motivated to produce his maths videos to
assist a student sick with cancer.
“He is an inspiring leader and an impressive advocate for the
teaching profession.” ■
Eddie Woo with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Credit: Salty Dingo
GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE 2018 FINALISTS:
Number one? • E ddie Woo, mathematics teacher, Cherrybrook
Aussie maths teacher a finalist in prestigious
international teacher awards. • L uis Miguel Bermudez Gutierrez, social science teacher,
By Kirstie Chlopicki
Technology High School, NSW
• N
urten Akkuş, pre-school teacher and principal, Ayvacık
Pre-School, Samsun, Turkey
• M
arjorie Brown, history teacher, Roedean School,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Colegio Gerardo Paredes IED, Bogotá, Colombia
• J esus Insilada, English and creative writing teacher, Caninguan
National High School, Lambunao, Iloilo, Philippines
N
SW teacher Eddie Woo is in the running to be named
the best teacher in the world, and will hold the lone
torch for Australia in the Varkey Foundation Global
Teacher Prize 2018.
The Cherrybrook Technology High School teacher was selected
for the US$1 million prize from 300,000 nominations around the
world, and was announced as a finalist by philanthropist Bill Gates.
The son of South-East Asian migrants who came to Australia in
the 1970s, Woo said his desire to teach and help students stemmed
from the racism and bullying he experienced at school in the 1990s.
• G
lenn Lee, engineering and technology teacher, Waialua High
& Intermediate School, Waialua, Hawaii, United States
• D
iego Mahfouz Faria Lima, director of Darcy Ribeiro Municipal
School, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
• K
oen Timmers, lecturer at PXL University College in Hasselt,
and computer science teacher at CVO De Verdieping School,
Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
• A
ndria Zafirakou, art and textiles teacher, Alperton Community
School, Brent, London, UK
• B
arbara Anna Zielonka, English teacher,
Nannestad High School, Norway
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