KUALA LUMPUR – Sydney Engelbert, an English teacher at Keningau Vocational College in Sabah, has won the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Award from Cambridge University Press and Assessment’s International Education group.
The award celebrates the role that teachers play in shaping the lives of their students and preparing them for the world.
Sydney earned almost 66% of the public vote to become the global winner.
This is the second time that a teacher in Malaysia has won the overall title, Cambridge University Press and Assessment said in a statement.
“The achievement came as a surprise to Sydney when she was attending Malaysia’s Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards on May 23.
“She took to the stage to receive her trophy for winning the Southeast Asia & Pacific regional award in the competition – only regional winners are put through to the public overall vote – and learned that she had also won the global vote,” it added.
She was nominated for her commitment to cross-cultural collaboration.
Sydney teaches at a rural school in Keningau, where her students rarely leave the district. Through an innovative online exchange programme, Sydney’s students engage with peers across Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Indonesia, allowing them to travel without stepping outside their classroom.
This virtual programme has not only enhanced their language skills but has also fostered cultural empathy and a deeper understanding of our interconnected world.
Cambridge’s regional director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Kanjna Paranthaman, who congratulated Sydney, said she was a well-deserved winner for her work in expanding the international experience of students without them leaving the classroom.
“At Cambridge, we believe that the role of a school is not only to pursue academic excellence but also to motivate and empower students to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers and productive global citizens with values and ethics.
“Sydney’s programme aligns perfectly with this as a teaching approach,” she said.
Sydney was nominated for the awards by the head of research and innovation at her school, Sirhajwan Idek.
“Having worked with Sydney since 2019, I can vouch for the transformative impact she has had on our students.
“I am immensely proud that Cambridge has recognised her dedication to teaching with this prestigious award. Her unwavering commitment to not only improving English-language proficiency but also enhancing cultural understanding through this online exchange programme is absolutely awe-inspiring.
“She has not just taught; she has opened doors for our students to a world beyond this valley, igniting in them a passion for learning and connecting with others globally,” he said.
Now in its sixth year, the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards give students, parents and peers the chance to nominate a current primary or secondary school teacher for outstanding commitment to their students’ education.
The 2024 awards witnessed an unprecedented surge in nominations from people wanting to express gratitude towards a teacher: a remarkable 14,840 nominations spanning 141 different countries, surpassing the previous record by over 1,000 nominations. – May 24, 2024