Maharashtra primary school bags Community Choice Award in UK

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ZP School Jalindarnagar, a primary school in Taluka Khed, Maharashtra, has been named winner of the 2025 World’s Best School Prizes Community Choice Award in London this week.

The World’s Best School Prizes were founded by UK-headquartered T4 Education in the wake of COVID to give a platform to schools that are changing lives in their classrooms and beyond.

ZP School Jalindarnagar has been recognised for revolutionising public-school education by providing quality student-led learning with its Subject Friend system, a peer-learning model where students of different ages teach and learn from each other.

Dattatray Ware, a teacher at the school in tribal Maharashtra, said he felt “deeply honoured” that the school has been chosen for such a prestigious recognition.

“In 2022, Jalindarnagar School, a remote tribal school, had only three students and was on the verge of closure. In just two years, it has witnessed a remarkable transformation to a world class standard,” shared Ware.

“The change was not only infrastructural but also pedagogical. This is not the end, but the beginning of a larger change in our education system,” he said.

ZP School Jalindarnagar was selected for the Community Choice Award after winning the most votes of all 50 shortlisted schools across the five World’s Best School Prizes categories in a public vote.

The award spotlights its significant community impact, with skilled community members and parents volunteering to teach electronics, carpentry, plumbing, languages and science skills.

The community has also stepped up as custodians of school infrastructure by volunteering to rebuild and maintain the school and its gardens, transforming the space into one that is rooted in self-ownership and collective pride.

“Our world stands at a crossroads. We need leaders who can rise to the 21st century’s greatest challenges, from climate breakdown to the AI revolution, from war to want, from populism to prejudice,” said Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes.

“It is in schools like these that leaders worldwide can find the answers they need… their trailblazing work will inspire educators and policymakers across the globe,” he said.

The winners of this year’s World's Best School Prizes from around the world and across different categories will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on November 15-16.

As prize-winners, they will share their best practices and unique expertise and experience with policymakers and leading figures in global education.

Franklin School in New Jersey, US, won this year’s Prize for Innovation; A Favor del Nino in Mexico City won the Prize for Community Collaboration; SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) in Malaysia won the Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives; Arbor School in Dubai won the Prize for Environmental Action 2025; and Escola Estadual Parque dos Sonhos in Cubatao in Brazil won the Prize for Overcoming Adversity 2025.