Nigerian school among top 10 global prize winners

A Nigerian school has been named among the top 10 best schools globally.

Wisdom International School of Excellence (WISE), based in Abuja, the nation’s capital, has been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prizes 2024, a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES said.

WISE, the only school named from Nigeria and West Africa, is competing against other schools in the UK, US, Europe, South Africa and East Africa.

The award, founded by T4 Education and the Lemann Foundation, is ranked as the world’s most prestigious education prizes, the statement revealed.

The winners of the prizes will be chosen by an expert Judging Academy based on rigorous criteria.

In addition, all 50 shortlisted schools across five prizes will also take part in a public vote.

The school which receives the most public votes will receive the Community Choice Award and membership to T4 Education’s Best School to Work programme to help them support teacher wellbeing and solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

Organiser speaks

Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, said:

“Unless we solve the urgent challenges global education faces – from learning gaps exacerbated by COVID to chronic underfunding and the growing teacher wellbeing, recruitment and retention crisis – we will have failed the next generation.

“Trailblasing Nigerian schools like Wisdom International School of Excellence, which have cultivated a strong culture and aren’t afraid to innovate, show the difference that can be made to so many lives.

“Schools everywhere can now learn from their solutions, and it’s time governments do so as well.”

About WISE

WISE, a primary and secondary school, was established in 2013. It has tackled the health crisis of open defecation, water, sanitation and hygiene, and has been named in the top 10 shortlist for the World’s Best School Prize for Overcoming Adversity.

WISE also integrated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the curriculum and supported communities grappling with poverty and limited access to quality education. WISE is tackling the health crisis of open defecation, diarrhoea and cholera thus subsequently reducing child mortality.

The school integrates practical-based learning, digital literacy, skills development with a strong emphasis on sustainability and community development.

WISE transformative future learning approach is being implemented in Tudunwada slum community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja through the Student-led TudunWada Ecological Toilet Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Project.

“This student-led initiative has drastically reduced open defecation from 75% to below 20%, significantly improving community health standards and enhancing access to clean water and sanitation facilities,” the statement said.

The school administrator, Olorunfemi Cariyat, said “we are set out to build future leaders that can be useful for themselves, their family and the society at large. We are nurturing global learners. Our learner practice critical thinking and problem solving ideas that can help them become better leaders and managers in the future.”

About prize

According to the statement, finalists for each of the five World’s Best School Prizes will be announced in September followed by the winners in November.

“A prize of US$50,000 will be equally shared among the winners of the five Prizes, with each receiving an award of US$10,000,” the statement said.

“Meanwhile, the winner of the Community Choice Award, as determined by the Public Vote, will receive membership to Best School to Work – an independent, evidence-based mechanism to certify schools for their culture and working environment.

“Membership comes with detailed feedback, actionable insights, and benchmarking data to help schools transform their culture to attract and retain the best teachers.”