Colegio Las Margaritas IED, a public school in Bogotá, is a finalist for the 2026 Global Schools Prize [1].
The recognition highlights a shift toward non-punitive educational frameworks in public systems. By prioritizing community wellbeing over traditional discipline, the school has gained international visibility as a model for improving living conditions in underserved urban areas.
Located in the Kennedy locality of Bogotá, the institution is now among the 10 best primary and secondary schools worldwide [1], [2]. The competition selects a small group of finalists based on their impact on students and the surrounding community [2].
The school's success is attributed to an educational model that replaces punitive discipline with methods focused on healthy coexistence [1]. This approach aims to improve not only academic outcomes but also the general living conditions of the community, a strategy that earned the school its place in the global ranking [1].
While reports indicate the school is a finalist in the 2026 competition [1], other reports suggest a school from Envigado also achieved a top 10 ranking in the same prize cycle. This indicates a strong performance for Colombian educational institutions on the global stage this year.
Colegio Las Margaritas IED continues to operate as a public entity within the Kennedy district, serving as a hub for the community-based learning strategies that led to its current nomination [1].
“Colegio Las Margaritas IED is now among the 10 best primary and secondary schools worldwide.”
The inclusion of a public school from a locality like Kennedy in the Global Schools Prize finalists suggests a growing international valuation of social-emotional learning and community integration over standardized testing or strict disciplinary records. It signals that holistic, coexistence-based models can compete with elite private institutions for global prestige.
