Rouble Nagi Wins 2026 Global Teacher Prize for Turning City Walls into Classrooms

In many of India’s poorest neighbourhoods, learning does not begin inside a classroom. It begins on a wall.

Rouble Nagi, an Indian teacher and artist who transforms neglected public walls into interactive educational murals, has been named the winner of the $1 million GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2026. The award, organised by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with UNESCO, recognises outstanding contributions to the teaching profession worldwide. Nagi was announced as the winner during a ceremony at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, selected from more than 5,000 nominations and applications across 139 countries.

Her work, spanning more than two decades, has focused on reaching children who have never attended school or are at risk of dropping out, using art as an entry point into formal education.

The recognition highlights a model of teaching that moves beyond classrooms and textbooks, placing education directly into the everyday environment of children living in informal settlements, villages, and marginalised urban communities.

From abandoned walls to “Living Walls of Learning”

At the heart of Nagi’s approach is a concept she calls “Living Walls of Learning.” Instead of treating murals as decorative art, she turns them into open-air teaching tools. These walls carry lessons in literacy, numeracy, science, hygiene, environmental awareness, and social responsibility, designed to be read, touched, and interacted with by children and families.

The murals often stand in areas where schools are distant, infrastructure is limited, and formal learning can feel inaccessible. By placing educational content in public view, the neighbourhood itself becomes part of the learning process. Children gather around the walls to trace letters, count numbers, and discuss images, often before they have ever stepped into a classroom.

This approach, according to Nagi, is meant to remove the psychological barrier to education. Learning begins in a familiar space, without uniforms, desks, or fees, making the transition into formal schooling less intimidating for first-time learners.

Building learning centres across India’s most vulnerable communities

Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), she has established more than 800 learning centres across India, operating in over 100 slums and rural villages. These centres serve as safe, structured spaces where children can begin foundational learning and be guided toward enrolment in formal schools.

The centres also provide support to children already in school but struggling with attendance, comprehension, or emotional challenges. Remedial education, creative activities, and mentorship form part of the programme, designed to keep children engaged and prevent dropouts.

Over the years, Nagi and her team have recruited and trained more than 600 volunteer and paid educators. Many come from the same communities they serve, helping create trust and cultural understanding within the learning environment.

Her work has reportedly helped bring more than one million children into the formal education system, according to figures shared by the foundation.

Teaching designed around real life

In many of the areas where the centres operate, children face obstacles such as poverty, child labour, early marriage, and irregular attendance due to family responsibilities. Instead of treating these as insurmountable barriers, Nagi’s model adapts to them.

Flexible schedules accommodate working children. Lessons often use recycled materials found in the neighbourhood. Practical skills are woven into the curriculum so that families can see immediate value in education.

This adaptation to lived realities has contributed to a reported reduction in dropout rates of more than 50% among children engaged in the programme, with improvements in long-term school retention.

The approach underscores a broader challenge in education policy: how to reach children for whom traditional systems are too rigid or distant to access.

Recognition from global education leaders

Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize, GEMS Education and The Varkey Foundation, said Nagi’s work represents “the very best of what teaching can be,” citing her creativity, compassion, and commitment to marginalised communities.

Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, congratulated Nagi, noting that her work demonstrates how teachers can transform lives by helping children enter and remain in school.

The Global Teacher Prize, now in its tenth year, is widely regarded as the largest award of its kind in the education sector, intended to elevate the status of teachers worldwide.

Plans for a Skilling Institute

Nagi has said she plans to use the $1 million prize money to establish a Skilling Institute that will provide free vocational and digital literacy training to marginalised children and young people.

The initiative is intended to extend her work beyond foundational education into employability and life skills, addressing another gap faced by young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

By combining education, art, and vocational training, the institute aims to create pathways for long-term economic mobility.

An artist reshaping public spaces

Alongside her work in education, Nagi is an internationally recognised artist and urban renewal advocate. Through the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation and Rouble Nagi Design Studio, she has created more than 850 murals and sculptures and participated in over 200 exhibitions worldwide.

She is a member of the India Design Council and was the first artist invited to exhibit at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, where her work has been added to the President of India’s permanent collection.

Her honours include the Jijamata Award, GR8 Award, MAP Noble Artist Award, and the HELLO! Urja Award.

This intersection of art and education is central to her philosophy: that visual culture in public spaces can influence how communities see learning, opportunity, and their own potential.

Education beyond the classroom

Nagi’s recognition comes at a time when education systems globally continue to grapple with how to reach children outside formal structures, particularly in underserved communities.

Her model demonstrates how learning can begin in unconventional spaces and how communities can be drawn into the educational process. By making education visible and accessible in daily life, she has created a pathway for children who might otherwise remain outside the system.

For many of them, the first lesson is not in a classroom, but on a wall that once stood unnoticed in their neighbourhood.