British Council recognised 25 schools with International School Award (ISA). The winning schools were from West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and Assam. East and Northeast India now has 221 ISA-awardees, representing a band of schools committed to providing international exposure for its pupils and faculty to help them be global citizens in the wake of global awareness.

The International School Award acknowledges schools which have worked towards increasing opportunities for international collaboration and making their students global citizens through their curriculum-based work. Launched in India in 2003, the ISA programme has recorded participation from over 2,500 schools across the country. From private schools to government schools and schools for children with special needs, the ISA programme has enabled schools in India to connect with schools globally. As of 2019, the British Council honours schools with the ISA award in 31 countries worldwide.

The winning schools demonstrated exemplary qualities of team-management, innovative problem solving and an international outlook in their projects. The participation from government schools peaked this year with more schools choosing to scale up their online presence with ‘Schools Online’, a virtual platform helping schools to support each other through the exchange of ideas and best practices.

In addition to the awards ceremony, five schools were present to display their ISA programmes. Students from Birla Bharati, Kolkata, Kendriya Vidyalaya 1, Salt Lake, Kolkata, Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata, Modern English Academy, Barrackpore and Pratt Memorial School, Kolkata, explained their school’s ISA journey.

The awards ceremony was preceded by a talk on ‘Enhancing creativity and promoting innovation in the education sector’ by Samrat Som, Head of Creative Studio at Royal Enfield. The ceremony was interspersed with a performance by children from the inclusive school, Akshar.

The winning schools from East and Northeast are:

• Bal Bharti Public School, MB Anuppur
• Birla Bharati, Kolkata
• Contai Public School
• Delhi Public School Gaya
• Delhi Public School Paradip Refinery
• Delhi Public School, Howrah
• Delhi Public School, Bhilai
• Explore International School, Kolkata
• Future Campus School, Kolkata
• JUSCO School Kadma, Jamshedpur
• Kendriya Vidyalaya 1, Salt Lake, Kolkata
• Kerala Samajam Model School, Jamshedpur
• Krishna Public School, Primary Wing, Raipur
• Krishna Public School, Tulsi, Raipur
• Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata
• Modern English Academy, Barrackpore
• Motilal Nehru Public School, Jamshedpur
• Mount Litera Zee School, Bihta
• Pratt Memorial School, Kolkata
• Shri Rawatpura Sarkar International School, Raipur
• South Point School, Guwahati
• St Marys English High School, Jamshedpur
• St Paul’s Mission School, Kolkata
• The Aditya Birla Public School, Bhatapara, Grasuri Vihar Rawan, Raipur
• WWA Cossipore English School, Kolkata