PETALING JAYA: Two Malaysian schools have been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prizes, making the cut as part of the top 10 finalists for the awards.
SK Kempadang in Kuantan has been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prize for Innovation while SMK Kampong Jawa in Klang is in the running for the World’s Best School Prize for Overcoming Adversity.
The awards are organised by T4 Education, a global organisation that provides tools and initiatives for teachers to improve education, in collaboration with Malaysian-based Yayasan Hasanah, Templeton World Charity Foundation, Accenture and American Express.
In a statement, T4 Education chief executive officer Vikas Pota congratulated the two schools. He said: “Educators all over the world will now be able to learn from the examples of these outstanding Malaysian schools.”
Yayasan Hasanah managing director Shahira Ahmed Bazari said it was an honour to be a sponsor for the awards, adding that it was a valuable initiative to promote and transform education globally.
“We are especially proud that two Malaysian schools are among the top 10 finalists, proof that our public schools are capable of being among the world’s best,” she said.
SK Kempadang was shortlisted for the innovation prize after creating a fully automated tracking system to follow its students’ progress at a time when face-to-face teaching was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, SMK Kampong Jawa, once in the bottom two out of 38 schools in Klang for its academic results, was shortlisted for its efforts in overcoming adversity after engaging parents to learn more about the students and their home environment to improve the overall teaching approach.
Both schools stand a chance to win US$50,000 (RM219,650) each if they emerge victorious in their respective categories after a public vote and selection by a panel of judges comprising academics, educators, NGO leaders, civil society representatives and other experts.
The World’s Best School Prizes seek to recognise and celebrate schools globally for the important role they play in developing and educating society’s younger generation.
