Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, the Global Teacher Prize, and GEMS Education
She attended the Buckingham Palace event alongside education pioneer and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, the Global Teacher Prize, and GEMS Education.
Rouble Nagi, winner of the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2026, said, “It was an honour to meet His Majesty King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. I’m deeply grateful to Sunny Varkey and the Varkey Foundation for their unwavering support of education and for creating platforms like the Global Teacher Prize that shine a light on teachers around the world. This recognition is not just for me, but for the children, young people, and communities we continue to work with every day across India.”
Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, the Global Teacher Prize, and GEMS Education, said, “We are immensely proud to see Rouble recognised at Buckingham Palace and honoured to meet His Majesty King Charles III. Rouble’s story is a powerful reminder that teachers have the ability to change lives, strengthen communities, and shape a better future for generations to come.”
Central to Rouble’s work is her innovative concept of “Living Walls of Learning.” She transforms abandoned walls into open-air, interactive murals that teach literacy, numeracy, science, hygiene, history, environmental awareness, and social responsibility. These murals are not decorative artworks, but open-air classrooms that draw children into learning, engage parents, and turn entire neighbourhoods into partners in education.
Rouble travels extensively across India, working directly with children in the learning centres and mentoring the teachers who lead them. She has recruited and trained more than 600 volunteer and paid educators, creating a scalable model that meets children where they are – academically, socially, and economically.
Her classrooms often operate in the most challenging conditions, shaped by poverty, child labour, early marriage, irregular attendance, and a lack of basic infrastructure. Rather than seeing these realities as barriers, Rouble designs education around real life: flexible schedules for working children, hands-on learning using recycled materials, and practical skills that demonstrate immediate value to families. As a result, her programmes have reduced dropout rates by more than 50% and significantly improved long-term school retention.
The Global Teacher Prize, Global Schools Prize and Global Student Prize, also founded by Sunny Varkey, form a powerful trilogy that celebrates educators, learners, and schools as institutions of innovation and change. Together, the three prizes help spark a 360-degree conversation about what it takes to deliver the best possible education, equipping children to face the future with confidence – while rethinking the future of learning for generations to come.
