Schools in Delhi, MP among finalists of World’s Best School Prizes 2024

LONDON : Two innovative schools from New Delhi and Madhya Pradesh were on Thursday named among the finalists who will battle it out with international educational institutions for this year’s World’s Best School Prizes. Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj, and CM RISE School Vinoba, Ratlam, are in the running for the prize founded by London-based T4 Education in collaboration with Accenture, American Express, and the Lemann Foundation, with the winners set to share a USD 50,000 prize fund.

Ryan International School, an independent kindergarten through to secondary school, is in the race for the World’s Best School Prize for "Environmental Action" for tackling water scarcity and pollution through innovative projects like hydroponics and biogas plants. CM RISE School Vinoba, a state kindergarten through to secondary school, is a finalist in the "Innovation" category for its achievements in the field of public education, originally founded for tribal girls in an urban slum community hesitant to embrace formal education.

“Congratulations to Ryan International School in India on the fantastic achievement of becoming a Top 3 finalist for the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action 2024. Through your efforts, you give us hope for the future of our planet, and your solutions will now inspire others across the globe through the platform of the World’s Best School Prizes,” said Jill Huntley, Managing Director – Global Corporate Citizenship, at Accenture.

Ryan International has been recognised for incorporating comprehensive environmental education across all grades, blending the Indian curriculum with innovative environmental projects. Its efforts have also won recognition from the Ministry of Environment for its substantial contributions to environmental conservation and planting more than 5,000 saplings in Delhi as a part of the 'Each One Plant One' campaign.

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Meanwhile, through a revitalised commitment to community collaboration and local resource utilisation, CM RISE School Vinoba has been commended for making education both relevant and accessible, with its innovative work delivered by the state of Madhya Pradesh in partnership with Peepul. Innovative practices, such as integrating education with local festivals and hosting early morning sports sessions, have enriched student experiences and outcomes, garnering recognition from local educational authorities, further validating the school’s impact.

World's Best School Prizes 2024

Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, said: “Unless the world takes urgent action, it is set to miss UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 of universal quality education by 2030. The global education crisis is multifaceted and so must be the solutions. “That's why we must look to the grassroots, to our schools at the coalface, for answers. To exceptional Indian institutions like CM RISE School Vinoba, Ratlam and Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj, whose work should make governments around the world sit up and take notice. By spreading their innovations far and wide, we can inspire change where it's needed most.”

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The five World’s Best School Prizes – for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity and Supporting Healthy Lives – celebrate schools from around the world for the pivotal role they play in developing the next generation of learners and for their enormous contribution to society’s progress. The winner in each prize category will be announced next month, chosen by a Judging Academy comprising distinguished leaders across the globe. The prize money of USD 50,000 will be equally shared among the winners of the five prizes, with each receiving an award of USD 10,000. All the winners and finalists of the World’s Best School Prizes will also be invited to the World Schools Summit in Dubai on November 23-24, which is designed to bring together global education leaders with the world’s best schools to help transform education.