

Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said on June 10 that a school named Samaritan Mission School in West Bengal’s Howrah district has been named one of the world’s top 10 inspirational schools. It was awarded by T4 Education, a UK-based research organisation, in collaboration with some internationally renowned agencies.
Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Happy to know and share that Samaritan Mission School of Howrah is among the top 10 inspirational schools all over the world.” She further added, “they have achieved this under the category of overcoming adversity, as shortlisted for the World’s best school prizes, by UK-based research organization T4 Education in partnership with some internationally acclaimed bodies.”
Mamoon Akhtar, founder of the institute
The school was founded by Mamoon Akhtar, 51, who had to drop out of school when he was in VII due to financial difficulty and then did tuition to fund his education and pass Class X and XII.
Won in category of overcoming adversity of tackling deprivation
Samaritan Mission School has won in the category of overcoming adversity of tackling deprivation in a slum community. The school initiated community development programmes and worked to unite people of different socio-economic backgrounds and help slum residents realize the need for improvement in health, sanitation and communal harmony. The school’s efforts to improve education has led to it having nearly 50% female students, 98% retention rate and 100% success in 10th and 12th grade examinations in recent years.
Others schools who ranked list are Kenya, Nigeria, Jamaica, South Africa, Uganda, Malaysia, Australia and Brazil.
T4 Education provides initiatives for teachers to improve education
T4 Education is a global organisation committed to providing engaging tools, initiatives, and events for teachers to improve education. Mamoon Akhtar, the founder of Samaritan Mission School, said he is happy that the institute got the honour.
Aside from schooling, institute provide many other trainings to students
Besides education, the institute provides vocational training to students, local women and those who are victims of domestic violence. “In the year 2001, we had only three students. The monthly charge was simply Rs 5. It presently boasts 6,500 students who receive a high-quality English education, the majority of whom are from disadvantaged Muslim and Hindu homes. For those who can afford it, the charge is now Rs 200 every month. Others pay a lower price,” said Mr Akhtar who studied only up to class 12 due to financial constraints.
He said both Muslim and Hindu festivals are celebrated in the school and no discrimination is made between pupils of different faiths.