Once on brink of closure, govt school in Pune village wins World’s Best School Prize 2025

“It is just a dream-like scenario for the entire school, as well as the village, to see that a government school can be among the top schools in the world. This shows a ray of hope to all government schools that they can compete with new-age private schooling, if there is a collective will by teachers, administration, state, and the community at large,” said Ware, emphasising that it was the community support that led the Jalindernagar school on this road toward success.

Despite being a ZP school run by the government, Ware said, “We run with a motto, ‘don’t wait until the government provides’. The school is proactive in obtaining facilities or creating the resources required for our students with the help of villagers. With the help of community collaboration, the standards of education have risen at the school, with many local parents choosing to send their wards here as opposed to the prevalent practice of choosing private school over a government school.”

When Ware was transferred to this school in 2021, there were only three to four students enrolled, as a result of the parents’ growing demand for private schools. Today, it serves 120 students in classes 1 to 8, supported by just two full-time teachers, and it stands as an example of how community engagement can redefine effective school education with limited resources.

Stating that all this is made possible with community support, Ware shared that the school has upgraded its infrastructure with the help of villagers who donated land to expand the school. The school also runs a skill-based education programme in 22 trades with help from skilled villagers who volunteer as educators to take classes of their respective trade. The school also has an active peer-learning model, where senior students mentor juniors, help clarify doubts in a comfortable, student-led setting. Due to these initiatives, the school was initially short-listed among the top 10 in the category of community collaboration in June.