Two Indian schools have been named among the top 50 shortlisted contenders for the USD 1 million Global Schools Prize 2026, organised by the UK-based Varkey Foundation.
Katha Lab School in Delhi was shortlisted in the Arts, Culture and Creativity category, while Delhi Public School Bangalore North (DPSBN) appears on the list in the SEND/Inclusive Education category. Both were chosen from roughly 3,000 nominations submitted from 113 countries.
The Global Schools Prize recognises innovative and high-impact schools across ten categories. Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, praised the shortlisted schools for showing how education can prepare young people with the knowledge, skills and values needed in a fast-changing world and said showcasing such examples can help reimagine learning globally.
Katha Lab School, located in the Govindpuri slum cluster, serves hundreds of children from low-income families and is noted for delivering impressive outcomes. Founded by Padma Shri recipient Geeta Dharmarajan, the school is known for StoryPedagogy, an approach that replaces traditional textbooks with storybooks and weaves language, science, mathematics and the arts into an integrated learning experience.
DPS Bangalore North, shortlisted for its inclusive practices, educates more than 7,000 students and operates under the motto “Service Before Self.” The school has been recognised for demonstrating that inclusion and academic excellence can coexist.
The top 50 will be reduced to 10 category winners, each receiving USD 50,000, and one overall Global Schools Prize winner, who will be awarded USD 500,000 to scale impact. The prize’s ten categories are AI Transformation; Arts, Culture and Creativity; Character- and Values-Driven Education; Global Citizenship and Peacebuilding; Health and Wellbeing; Overcoming Adversity; SEND/Inclusive Education; STEM Education; Sustainability; and Teacher Development.
Winners are expected to be announced at the Education World Forum in London later this month.
