Indian schools invited to compete for World's Best School Prizes

London: Outstanding Indian schools are being urged to enter the $250,000 World's Best School Prizes 2023 as applications opened in London this week. The new prize, launched last year, celebrates schools worldwide for the important role they play and for their enormous contribution to society's progress, especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic. The organisers point out that more schools in India were shortlisted for the inaugural prizes than any other country, with SDMC Primary School Lajpat Nagar III in New Delhi making the Top 10 shortlist for the World's Best School Prize for Innovation 2022.

"We founded the World's Best School Prizes to create the conversations that lead to lasting change," said Vikas Pota, Founder of UK-headquartered T4 Education, which is behind the prizes.

"Conversations between educators learning from one another's vital solutions, and conversations in the halls and corridors of power where leaders must sit up and listen to those on the frontlines," he said. The five World's Best School Prizes – for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives – were founded by digital media platform T4 Education in partnership with Accenture and American Express.

They are conceptualised as a grassroots solution to help build systemic change and give inspirational schools a global platform, allow them to share their best practices, and help others replicate their innovative ideas. "Schools from all over India should come forward and apply for the most prestigious global education prize so their tireless work can gain the recognition and support it deserves," said Shaheen Mistri, CEO of Teach for India. "I'm so proud of the achievements of India's schools in the first-ever World's Best School Prizes. These awards have truly put India's education community on the map. We know our education system faces great challenges, but by bringing together our incredible schools we can work to transform education," added Safeena Husain, Founder of Educate Girls. Mistri and Husain make up a wide-ranging Judging Academy for the prize, which will be whittled down to the Top 10 shortlist for each prize category by June 2023 and then three finalists by September next year. The winners will be announced in October 2023 when the USD 250,000 will be shared equally among the winners of the five prizes, with each receiving an award of USD 50,000. The prizes are open to all schools which teach students in compulsory schooling, and are legally registered with their respective Ministry of Education or government regulatory authority, including early childhood centres, kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, and online schools.

They can apply to compete for next year's prizes by the March 15 deadline at worldsbestschool.org.