Malaysian teacher wins global Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Award

The annual Cambridge competition celebrates the role that teachers play in shaping the lives of their learners and preparing them for the world. This year saw a record number of nominations from people wanting to thank a teacher: 14,840 nominations across 141 different countries, topping the previous record by over 1,000 nominations.

On 23 May 2024, Sydney Engelbert, who works at Keningau Vocational College, on the island of Borneo, attended an event to collect her trophy for regional winner of the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards, Southeast Asia & Pacific. However, when she took to the stage, Sydney was surprised to be presented with the global title for the Dedicated Teacher Awards, after securing more than 66 percent of the public vote.

This is the second time that a teacher in Malaysia has won the overall global title.

Sydney teaches at a rural school in Keningau, where her students rarely leave the district. In 2022, she co-pioneered an online exchange programme with several vocational schools in Southeast Asia. Through the 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 fostered cultural empathy and a deeper understanding of our interconnected world. 

Within two years of starting, the programme has benefitted almost 400 students and 50 teachers from participating schools. 

Sydney was nominated for the award by the Head of Research and Innovation at her school, Dr. Sirhajwan Idek, who said: "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.

Kanjna Paranthaman, Cambridge’s Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Pacific, said: "Sydney is a very well-deserved global winner of the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards title for her work in expanding the international experience of students from the comfort of their own 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. Sydney’s programme aligns perfectly with this as a teaching approach."

Sydney followed her parents and other family members into teaching. She was born and grew up two hours away from the school where she teaches in a small village called Tambunan, one of the most rural areas of Sabah.

As a child, she watched English cartoons, not only to entertain herself but also comprehend the dialogue, using it as a tool to learn the English language. Both the rural nature of her island home and the desire for effective communication went on to influence Sydney’s work as a teacher.

Sydney pursued her tertiary education at an education university in West Malaysia and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).

In addition to a regional prize of £500 worth of books for her class, as the global competition winner Sydney can now take part in a course of her choice on Cambridge’s Enrichment Professional Development programme.