ZP school in Khed, on verge of closure just two years ago, has won the Community Choice Award in the prestigious World’s Best School Prizes 2025
Staff and students of the Jalindarnagar Zilla Parishad Primary School celebrate after the winners of the award were announced on Wednesday. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Jalindarnagar Zilla Parishad School in Khed taluka of Pune district has bagged the Community Choice Award in the prestigious World’s Best School Prizes 2025, instituted by T4 Education, a global educational organisation.
The institute beat 50 short-listed schools to claim the title. mid-day had highlighted, in its June 19 edition, how the Marathi-medium primary school was once on the verge of closure but went on to earn international recognition for its innovation, social impact, and student-friendly practices. The institution is the only government Marathi-medium school from India to be honoured by T4 Education this year.
Jalindarnagar Zilla Parishad School is famous for its peer-learning model, where older and younger kids teach one another. PICS/By Special Arrangement
The school faced closure just two years ago when enrolment had dropped to only three students. According to state norms, schools with fewer than 10 students are typically shut down. However, through collective and visionary efforts of the local community, the school not only survived but flourished. Today, it caters to 120 students from Std I to VII.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar congratulated the school, calling the achievement a proud moment for Maharashtra. “The ‘students-teach-students’ model adopted by Jalindarnagar Zilla Parishad School is revolutionary. With the combined efforts of teachers, students, and parents, the school has set an inspiring example not just for the state but for the entire nation,” Pawar said in a statement.
Other schools in spotlight
Three other Indian schools — Government Girls Senior Secondary School (Faridabad), Ekya School (Bengaluru), and Delhi Public School (Varanasi) — have also featured in the Top 10 of different categories, according to government sources.
With this achievement, Jalindarnagar ZP School has proven that community-driven education can turn challenges into global recognition, offering a ray of hope for hundreds of struggling rural schools across India.
The school is particularly noted for its peer-learning model, where older and younger children teach one another, making education more interactive and engaging. This unique approach has drawn global appreciation.
Principal speaks
Reacting to the victory, Dattatray Ware, the school’s principal, told mid-day, “The school received recognition due to the collective efforts of parents, teachers, villagers, community volunteers, and many others, who helped us reach new heights.”
Ware, who took charge when the school was in crisis two years ago, said, to fix the situation, he applied a model that had proved successful at the school where he was previously. This method includes the involvement of parents and locals. “For any community project to succeed, trust is key — and trust comes only from honest, selfless work,” he said.
Parents became active partners in the revival. One electronics shop owner supplied components for practical learning, while another, a computer science expert, offered free training. Soon, the entire village joined hands to support the school, transforming it into a hub of collective learning.
This milestone proves that rural public schools in India can match international standards. It is not just about awards, but about showing the world what community-driven education can achieve.
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