Dubai: Hanan al-Hroub, a Palestinian primary school teacher on Sunday won a USD 1 million prize for teaching excellence beating out 8,000 other applicants from around the world.


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Hanan grew up in a refugee camp and is a a primary school teacher in the West Bank city of al-Bireh just outside Ramallah. She educates her students about non-violence.


She was awarded the second annual Global Teacher Prize during a ceremony in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.


Pope Francis announced her name in a video message as he talked about the importance of education and teachers especially for children who grow up amid war.


Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was present especially to hand over the prize to Hanan.


Hanan, who was awarded with USD 1 million told the 'Associate Press' that she will use the prize money for the betterment of students who excel in order to motivate them to choose teaching as their career.


The Golbal Teacher Prize was started two years ago to recognize an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession at the same time encouraging others to take teaching as a career.


The opening of the process was announced by Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey GEMS Foundation, at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.