Pune village school enters final round of new $250,000 contest

London: A village school in Maharashtra that has created a cultural dynamic centred on close ties within the community was on Thursday unveiled as one of three finalists for the inaugural $250,000 World’s Best School Prizes, launched in the UK to celebrate schools worldwide for their contribution to society’s progress. PCMC English Medium School, Bopkhel, in Pune district, will now progress to the public advisory vote round of the prize in the Community Collaboration category, with the winner to be awarded during World Education Week next month. The school is run as a public private partnership between NGO Akanksha Foundation and local government, with most of its students from low-income families.

“PCMC English Medium School, Bopkhel, also works with local doctors, grocers and religious leaders to help create programmes that help parents in financial need,” said T4 Education, the UKhead-quartered digital media platform which founded the prize earlier this year. The prizes are aimed at sharing the best practices of schools that are transforming the lives of their students and making a real difference to their communities. “Teachers everywhere will be inspired by the example of this outstanding Indian school,” said Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes. If PCMC English Medium School, Bopkhel were to win the World’s Best School Prize for Community Collaboration, it has plans to donate some of the prize money to the Akanksha Foundation due to their contribution towards the management of the school. The funds would also be distributed towards other schools that work with the foundation.