Pune: Once On Brink Of Closure, ZP School Now In Race For $10,000 World's Best School Prize; Check Pictures And Video

Once on the brink of closure with just three students in 2022, a government school in Maharashtra’s Pune district faced an uncertain future as authorities considered shutting it down. Now, the Jalindarnagar ZP school has reached the global stage by being listed among the 10 contenders for the prestigious 'World's Best School Prize' for Community Collaboration.

The World’s Best School Prizes, organized by T4 Education, offer a total of $50,000 across five categories: Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives. Each category winner receives $10,000. Additionally, a Community Choice Award is determined through public voting.

Shortlisted in the Community Collaboration category, the Pune ZP school now stands a chance to win the $10,000 prize, with the final outcome depending on public support.

Voting to choose the best schools will take place until July 9, and this year’s winners will be announced in October.

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All you need to know about the school

Dattatray Ware, a national award–winning teacher, was transferred to the Zilla Parishad school in Jalindarnagar, Khed tehsil, following a local controversy. Affectionately known as “Guruji,” he is now the driving force behind the school's dramatic transformation—from just a handful of pupils to over 120 students.

Ware introduced innovative methods like the "Subject Friend" system, where older and younger students learn together through peer-led lessons. With strong community backing, he also spearheaded major infrastructure improvements.

Previously recognized for his work at a ZP school in Wablewadi, Shirur tehsil, Ware has now guided the Jalindarnagar school into the top 10 finalists for the World’s Best School Prize (Community Collaboration category), organized by T4 Education, a UK-based teacher network of over 200,000 educators from 100+ countries.

Ware shared, “We joined the competition to gauge where we stand globally and what excellence in education looks like.” He learned of the finalist status on June 18 and urged public voting to secure the top prize.

The nine other finalists hail from Brazil, the UK, Dubai, Pakistan, Italy, Costa Rica, and Argentina. T4 Education praised the school’s “transformative teaching methodology” and emphasized its student-centric approach.

Notable innovations include the introduction of coding, robotics, electronics, and multilingual instruction. The school's model has even been adopted by the government for rollout in other public schools.

Parents and local experts volunteered to teach skills like electronics, carpentry, and plumbing, and took ownership of school maintenance—fostering a sense of collective pride.

Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh lauded the initiative as a sterling example of how teacher leadership and community engagement can revolutionize a public school. He pledged government support to help the school secure the prize.

Winners will be announced in October, with an awards ceremony scheduled at the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi on November 15–16.