Two inspirational Malaysian schools have been named in the Top 10 shortlists for the USD $250,000 ( RM1,153,500.00) World’s Best School Prizes.
Two Malaysian schools made it to the world’s best school
The five World’s Best School Prizes, founded last year by T4 Education in collaboration with Yayasan Hasanah, Accenture, American Express, and the Lemann Foundation, are the world’s most prestigious education prizes.
One of them is Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Permai, a government primary school in Bayan Baru, Penang, Malaysia, which has developed an ingenious way to ease the heavy burden of the bags students carry on their backs, has been named in the Top 10 shortlist for the World’s Best School Prize for Innovation.
Another one is Sekolah Kebangsaan Kanchong Darat, a government primary school in Banting, Selangor, Malaysia, which has become a beacon of resilience with its Great Mind, Healthy Citizens project boosting attendance and tackling obesity, has been named in the Top 10 shortlist for the World’s Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives.
Strong school culture
“Congratulations to the remarkable teachers and students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Permai and Sekolah Kebangsaan Kanchong Darat for their well-deserved inclusion in the Top 10 shortlists of the World’s Best School Prizes 2023.
“This recognition not only showcases the exceptional calibre of Malaysia’s schools but also signifies a significant stride towards a progressive society, where educators and young people play a pivotal role in shaping our shared future,” said Dato’ Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Founding Trustee & Managing Director of Yayasan Hasanah.
Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, said:
“The schools shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prizes, no matter where they can be found or what they teach, all have one thing in common. They all have a strong school culture. Their leaders know how to attract and motivate exceptional educators, inspire change, and build excellent teaching and learning environments.“
The five World’s Best School Prizes – for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives – celebrate schools everywhere for the pivotal role they play in developing the next generation of learners and for their enormous contribution to society’s progress, especially in the wake of COVID.
The Prizes were established to share the best practices of schools that are transforming the lives of their students and making a real difference to their communities.
What is World’s Best School Prize?
The Top 3 finalists for each of the five World’s Best School Prizes will be announced in September 2023 followed by the winners in October. The winner of each Prize will be chosen based on rigorous criteria by a Judging Academy comprising distinguished leaders across the globe including academics, educators, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, government, civil society, and the private sector.
A prize of US$250,000 will be equally shared among the winners of the five Prizes, with each receiving an award of US$50,000.
All 50 shortlisted schools will be invited to share their best practices through events on the T4 Communities app or School Transformation Toolkits that showcase their “secret sauce” to innovative approaches and step-by-step instructions on how others can replicate their methods to help improve education everywhere.