Teacher beats 5158 nominations from 101 countries to take top prize in Cambridge’s teacher competition
Over and above her teaching role, teacher’s fundraising and charity work to ensure access to education are winning combination
The International Education group at Cambridge University Press & Assessment (Cambridge) today announced that English teacher, Portia Dzifa Dzilah from Pakro Anglican Basic School in the Akuapim South District of Ghana, is the global winner of the 2025 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards. In a close race with eight other regional winners from around the globe, Portia earned 33 percent of the public vote to become the overall winner – the first time a teacher from Ghana has won the title.
The competition celebrates the role that teachers play in shaping the lives of their learners and preparing them for the world. Pakro is a remote farming community that faces challenges such as high rates of pupil absence and teenage pregnancy. Portia is dedicated to transforming her students’ lives and was nominated for her food and sanitary product drives, Gender Club, and for encouraging her students – particularly girls – to stay in full-time education.
Winner’s celebration
The achievement came as a surprise to Portia when receiving a video call from Group Managing Director of International Education, Rod Smith. Believing that she was accepting her trophy for winning the Sub-Saharan Africa regional award in the competition, Portia learned that she had also won the global vote.
Watch the surprise video here.
Cambridge colleagues travelled to Portia’s school with local education partner NNF Esquire to present her with the global award and £500 worth of books from the Cambridge-NNF Essential range. They were joined by Elizabeth Afriyie – Municipal Director of Education and Joyce Anim – Deputy Director of Education for Akuapim South, as well as the whole community of Pakro who came out to celebrate Portia’s win.
Watch the school celebration here.
Upon receiving her award, Portia said: “I want to thank my students – they are my greatest inspiration. Their strength, curiosity, and determination remind me every day why I teach. I believe in the potential of every child and that education can break cycles and open doors. To every girl who has walked into my classroom when it would have been easier to stay home, and to every parent who has dared to hope for more for their child, this is for you! Let us continue to build a world where education truly transforms lives.”
Group Managing Director of International Education, Rod Smith said: “Sometimes, we meet teachers whose dedication goes so far beyond the job description that it’s hard to imagine how they find time for anything else. Some educators are simply born to teach – their passion is so deep, so instinctive, that it becomes a way of life. Portia’s unwavering belief in the transformative power of education is both inspiring and deeply moving. She brings not only knowledge to her students, but hope, encouragement, and a vision for what their futures can be.”
As part of her overall prize, Portia can now take part in a course of her choice from Cambridge’s Enrichment Professional Development programme. She will also appear as the overall winner on a ‘Thank you’ page at the front of a range of new Cambridge textbooks, available to the public from November 2025, and appear in Cambridge promotions throughout the year.
Now in its seventh year, the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards gives students, parents and peers the chance to nominate a current primary or secondary teacher for outstanding commitment to their students’ education.
