Pune ZP Primary School Clinches Global Community Choice Award

Date & Author: 2025‑10‑01 | By Vikram Das, School & Community Reporter

Content:
Jalindarnagar Primary School, a government Marathi‑medium school in Khed taluka of Pune, has won the Community Choice award in the World’s Best School contest organized by T4 Education, becoming the only Indian government-run school to earn this recognition. The accolade applauds innovation, social impact, and holistic student development.

Once on the verge of closure, Jalindarnagar transformed its pedagogical model through strong community engagement, peer learning, and resource optimization. The school’s peer learning system—where older students mentor younger ones—was particularly praised for creating a culture of mutual support and engagement rather than rote instruction. 

School leaders note that the award reflects sustained effort across stakeholders—teachers, parents, and district officials—to reset expectations about quality in rural government schooling. Alumni involvement in infrastructure, community-led extracurricular programming, and participatory governance helped rehabilitate operations and morale over several years.

The durability of such change is now under the spotlight. Experts argue that recognition should be matched with ongoing support: teacher training, curriculum flexibility, infrastructure upgrades, and pathways for scaling these practices to other under-resourced schools. This victory sends a strong message: even small schools, when empowered by community and pedagogical focus, can compete globally on innovation and social value.