World's Best Teacher to Bring Inspirational Figures to UK Schools with $1 Million Prize

Andria Zafirakou, a north London secondary school teacher, has won a $1 million prize after being named the World's Best Teacher. She plans to use the money to bring inspirational figures into UK schools. Zafirakou says she wants to bring about a classroom 'revolution'. 'We are going to make a change,' she said. 'I've started a project to promote the teaching of the arts in our schools.'

The project is a response to the challenges many schools face in getting artists of any kind – from up-and-coming local musicians to major movie stars – into schools to work with and inspire children.

Zafirakou began the project at Alperton Community School, where she has worked for the past twelve years. 'I've seen those magic moments when children are talking to someone they are inspired by – their eyes are shining and their faces light up,' she said. 'We need artists more than ever in our schools.'

Artist Michael Craig-Martin supports the project, saying, 'Andria's brilliant project to bring artists from all fields into direct contact with children is particularly welcome at a time when the arts are being 'downgraded' in schools.' He added that it was a mistake to see the arts as unnecessary.

Historian Sir Simon Schama is also a supporter of the project. He said that arts education in schools is not just an 'add-on'. 'It is absolutely necessary. The future depends on creativity and creativity depends on the young. What will remain of us when artificial intelligence takes over will be our creativity, and it is our creative spirit, our visionary sense of freshness, that has been our strength for centuries.'