Cambridge, England (May 27, 2025) – Cambridge University Press & Assessment (Cambridge) today announced that Portia Dzifa Dzilah, an English teacher at Pakro Anglican Basic School in Ghana, is the global winner of the 2025 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards.
Portia secured 33 percent of the public vote among nine regional winners to claim the title, making her the first teacher from Ghana to achieve this global recognition.
The Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards celebrate educators worldwide who significantly impact their students’ lives. Portia was nominated for her exceptional dedication in Pakro, a remote farming community facing challenges like high rates of pupil absence and teenage pregnancy. Her efforts include organizing food and sanitary product drives, establishing a Gender Club, and actively encouraging her students, especially girls, to remain in full-time education.
Portia received the news during a video call from Rod Smith, Group Managing Director of International Education at Cambridge, initially believing she was only accepting her award for winning the Sub-Saharan Africa regional category.
Cambridge colleagues, joined by local education partner NNF Esquire, later traveled to Portia’s school to formally present her with the global award and £500 worth of books from the Cambridge-NNF Essential range. Municipal Director of Education Elizabeth Afriyie and Deputy Director Joyce Anim, alongside the entire Pakro community, celebrated her win.
You can watch the surprise video here and the school celebration here.
Upon receiving her award, Portia expressed profound gratitude. “I want to thank my students – they are my greatest inspiration,” she said on the news. “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.”
Rod Smith of Cambridge praised Portia’s unwavering dedication. “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,” he noted. “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 the global winner, Portia’s prize includes a course of her choice from Cambridge’s Enrichment Professional Development programme. She will also be featured as the overall winner on a ‘Thank you’ page at the front of a range of new Cambridge textbooks, set to be available from November 2025, and will appear in Cambridge promotions throughout the year.
Now in its seventh year, the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards program offers students, parents, and peers the chance to nominate primary or secondary teachers for their outstanding commitment to student education.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is a global organization dedicated to providing world-leading academic research and high-quality education.
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