SUBANG JAYA: In celebration of Teachers’ Day, the RISE Educator Award organised by Taylor’s College is making its sixth return, reaffirming its dedication to recognising teachers who go beyond the classroom to shape the future of their students and communities. Under the theme “Celebrating Teachers Behind the Future We Share”, the 2026 edition highlights the crucial role educators play in fostering more inclusive, innovative, and future-ready education.
With a total prize fund exceeding RM100,000, the award honours teachers demonstrating excellence in teaching, innovation in practice, and a sustained commitment to creating meaningful impact.
Open to educators from national, private, and international schools across preschool, primary, and secondary levels, this year’s award also broadens its scope to include alternative education centres serving refugee and stateless children.
Nominations are open from 15 May to 30 June 2026, with members of the public invited to submit entries of 100 to 500 words describing how a teacher has made a significant difference. Submissions should highlight four key elements: the challenge faced, the actions undertaken, the outcomes achieved, and the long-term impact on students or the wider community.
“What we are witnessing today is that meaningful progress in education is increasingly driven by teachers on the ground—those who are reimagining how learning occurs and ensuring it remains inclusive and relevant,” said Josephine Tan, Campus Director of Taylor’s College.
“As Malaysia observes Teachers’ Day, it serves as a timely reminder of the vital role educators play, not only within classrooms but also in shaping the future of our communities. Through the RISE Educator Award, we aim to recognise and elevate these efforts, contributing to the broader goal of enhancing education quality and equity across Malaysia.
“Now in its sixth year, the initiative has shown us that even small, teacher-led efforts can create lasting change when supported and given visibility,” she added.
One such inspiring example is last year’s recipient, Stefanus Lucas, a special education teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas Kota Kinabalu. His work has revolutionised how students with hearing impairments experience music.
Thanks to the RM50,000 school sponsorship awarded through the RISE Educator Award, he established Sabah’s first Inclusive Music Room for deaf students—an environment designed to facilitate learning through rhythm, vibration, and visual cues.
What began as a resourceful initiative has grown into a structured programme engaging over 40 students, with some performing publicly and gaining international recognition—highlighting how inclusive, teacher-led innovation can unlock new learning possibilities. Watch Stefanus Lucas’s journey and the transformation of the Inclusive Music Room here.
Stories like Stefanus’s lie at the heart of what the RISE Educator Award aims to showcase each year. From the pool of nominations, five teachers will be shortlisted for evaluation by a panel of judges, with their stories also open for public voting. The final award recipient will be determined through a combined assessment—75% judged by the panel and 25% via public votes.
The judging panel will include both institutional representatives and grassroots perspectives, such as previous recipients like Stefanus Lucas, to identify teachers demonstrating meaningful and measurable impact. In doing so, the initiative continues to support broader national efforts to improve education quality and inclusivity across Malaysia.
Since 2021, Taylor’s College has awarded over RM36,000 to 18 teachers and RM200,000 to 16 schools nationwide, supporting teacher-led initiatives that foster more inclusive and meaningful learning experiences.
