Turkish teacher achieves global success over girls’ education efforts

Beyazıt Şenbük - ISTANBUL

Tuba Dumlu Güler, who enabled 170 girls that initially were not allowed access to education to pursue their dreams of receiving education, has been recognized as one of the top 50 educators globally in the prestigious "2023 Global Teacher Prize" competition.

Güler, who previously clinched the title of teacher of the year twice by the Education Ministry in 2013 and 2019 for her dedicated efforts in rural schools, now finds herself among the world's best 50 teachers after surpassing 7,000 competitors from 120 countries in the "2023 Global Teacher Prize," a collaboration between the Varkey Foundation under the honorary chairmanship of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and UNESCO. If she emerges victorious in the final stage, she will be awarded a substantial prize of $1 million.

Currently serving as a middle school science teacher in the eastern province of Erzurum, 39-year-old Güler has spent the last 16 years making a profound impact on the lives of underprivileged children, particularly in disadvantaged regions. Her achievement in this competition is attributed not only to her unwavering commitment to girls' education but also to the accolades earned by her village school students in scientific competitions.

"I was born in Erzurum, and I firmly believe that geography should not determine destiny. During my early teaching years, female participation in education was inadequate in rural areas. While working in village schools, my primary goal was to elevate this situation. For students who were denied permission to attend school due to their families' objections, I conducted home visits, striving to convince their parents. These conversations typically concluded with the phrase, 'I will grant permission only if she succeeds,'" Güler explained.

"I needed to demonstrate to them that they could 'succeed' for the girls to continue their education. In an effort to unleash the potential within our girls, I prepared them for numerous competitions in the realms of art, culture, and science. These competitions yielded significant successes. Those girls, initially devoid of hope for an education, have now become doctors, engineers, architects, lawyers, and teachers."