When Awadhesh Kumar Jha, Principal of Sarvodaya Co-Ed Vidyalaya, Sector-8, Rohini, walked up to receive the National Teacher’s Award 2025 from President Droupadi Murmu, it was more than a personal achievement — it was a celebration of values, innovation, and a new vision of education rooted in empathy.
“For me, this honour is not just a prize but a responsibility,” Jha told The Tribune. “It reminds me every day that education must go beyond academics — it must nurture the child’s heart, mind, and character.”
Building Schools of Emotional Strength
Under Jha’s leadership, Sarvodaya Co-Ed Vidyalaya has evolved into a dynamic centre of psychosocial support, socio-emotional learning, and environmental awareness. His flagship initiative, “Dil Ki Baat”, offers students of Classes 5, 6, 9, and 12 an open space to speak freely about their thoughts and feelings. The forum has become a quiet revolution in the school — one that fosters confidence, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence among children who might otherwise have remained unheard.
Green Innovation: The Zero Waste Citizen Bank
Equally noteworthy is Jha’s commitment to sustainability. His Zero Waste Citizen Bank, developed with the support of a retired army officer, encourages students to deposit recyclable materials such as plastic bottles, utensils, and paper. In return, they earn reward points redeemable for stationery like pencils and pens. The initiative has made students champions of the 3Rs — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, turning environmental awareness into a daily habit.
A Reading Room That Never Sleeps
Believing that learning should not stop when the school bell rings, Jha established the Shobhit Reading Room, a facility open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., accommodating up to 70 students at a time. It provides free access to books, computers, and the internet — bridging the digital divide and encouraging continuous learning beyond classrooms.
Empowering Academic Excellence
To support career aspirations, Jha collaborated with PhysicsWallah Pvt Ltd to set up a dedicated learning hub for IIT-JEE and NEET aspirants — a rare opportunity in a government school. The school’s Commerce Lab prepares students for the CA Foundation exam, and impressively, three to four students qualify every year.
“The honour has given me more energy to keep pushing boundaries,” Jha said. “Every initiative is about giving students and teachers the confidence that they can dream big and achieve it.”
Spaces for Healing and Growth
Jha’s belief in holistic education extends to students’ emotional well-being. During the pandemic, he established a stress-buster room, a junior science lab, and an activity room with NGO support. More recently, the school introduced the Heart-to-Heart Lounge, where students practice meditation and learn communication, personality development, and time management skills.
Bridging the School and the Community
Through the government’s Vidyanjali 2.0 programme, Jha has built partnerships with NGOs and local community members to strengthen classroom resources and create mentorship opportunities. These collaborations have expanded the school’s reach, connecting students with real-world experiences and role models.
A Vision Beyond Textbooks
For Awadhesh Kumar Jha, education is not about competition — it’s about compassion. “A school’s purpose,” he says, “is not just to prepare children for exams but to prepare them for life. When we teach emotional resilience, sustainability, and career readiness, we create lifelong learners and responsible citizens.”
From “Dil Ki Baat” to the Zero Waste Citizen Bank, every initiative under his leadership proves that with imagination, purpose, and heart, even a government school can shine as a beacon of holistic and humane education.
