Triumphant: Fadhlina (centre) joining SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) students and teachers in celebrating their victory.
Interventions led by students for students can change lives, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
The voices of children, she said, have the power to heal and the ability to restore, nurture and empower each other.
This, she added, was evident in the global success achieved by SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) recently.
The school was awarded the World’s Best School Prize 2025 in the Supporting Healthy Lives category with its innovative HELPIE health mobile application.
“This initiative stands out even more because it was developed entirely through the efforts of the students themselves, showcasing their skills and their ability to understand and manage their own emotions.
“We are reviewing the app because at present it is only being used at the school level.
“We will look into scaling up the app’s implementation, providing continued support for the headmaster and teachers, and positioning the school as a model for other institutions, so it can be integrated into counselling programmes in other schools,” she said at the World’s Best School Prizes 2025 announcement ceremony in Putrajaya on Sept 30.
Founded in 2022 by T4 Education, the World’s Best School Prizes recognise outstanding achievements in five categories: Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives.
SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) was recognised for HELPIE, which was designed and developed by students for students, to make mental health support accessible, interactive, engaging and fun.
Since its introduction, the school has recorded a 60% drop in student stress levels. More than 90% of students report a better understanding of their emotions, while 87% say they are more aware of their stress levels.
HELPIE project lead and English language teacher Mohd Saharudin Setapa said the app has already served its purpose to highlight the importance of emotional health, and moving forward, the school aims to extend its role to address bullying and other school-based challenges.
He added that the app is being continuously improved to meet the evolving needs of students.
“Professional input from mental health experts are necessary so the app can complement the student-to-student design with credible, scalable features.
“Our ultimate goal is to scale HELPIE beyond our school. We want this to be a tool every student in Malaysia can use, and eventually a model for schools worldwide,” he said.
Fadhlina said Malaysia has built a strong reputation in the World’s Best School Prizes since its inception in 2022, when SK Kempadang in Pahang and SMK Kampong Jawa in Selangor were shortlisted for their innovative approaches to education.
“This year, SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) continues that legacy by standing tall among the top 10 schools globally. I am deeply inspired by SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1) and its HELPIE app, which reflects a broader aspiration for fairness and inclusivity within the education community that continues to grow in our nation,” she said, adding that the school’s win had set a new benchmark in national education.
Stressing that schools must be living ecosystems, places that nurture people, humanise learning, cultivate manners and wisdom, and refine skills, she said every school has the potential to become extraordinary when education is approached with focus and purpose.
“The approach we are taking now is to reform our schools, which is not simply about making every school change for the sake of it. Rather, we believe that the most meaningful transformation must begin with the students themselves,” she said.
SK Putrajaya Presint 11(1), which triumphed over shortlisted contenders from Türkiye, India, the Philippines, the UK, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, and Thailand, received US$50,000 (RM210,950) for their effort.
Thanking the school for its “trailblazing work”, T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes founder Vikas Pota said, “We need leaders who can rise to the 21st century’s greatest challenges, from climate breakdown to the AI revolution, from war to want, from populism to prejudice.”
Winners in the other four categories were A Favor del Niño in Mexico City, Mexico (Community Collaboration); Arbor School in Al Furjan, Dubai, UAE (Environmental Action); Franklin School in Jersey City, New Jersey, US (Innovation); and Escola Estadual Parque dos Sonhos in Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil (Overcoming Adversity). ZP School Jalindarnagar in Taluka Khed, Maharashtra, India, was presented with the Community Choice Award.
All winners and finalists will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from Nov 15 to 16, where they will share best practices and expertise with policymakers and leading global education figures.
