Peleno Petenilhu, a teacher of John Government Higher Secondary School Viswema under Kohima district is among nine teachers from northeast India to be conferred the National Teachers Award 2025 for their exemplary contributions to the field of education.

Petenilhu’s notion of a classroom is not confined by walls or the rigidity of a syllabus; instead, it is a living space of joy, shared responsibility, empathy, and transformation.

She is being given the prestigious national award in recognition of the defining feature of her teaching practice- “Each One Teach One” initiative, which is a peer learning model where Class 12 students mentor juniors or academically struggling students.

Connecting English lessons to local folktales and real-life issues to promote critical thinking, expression, and contextualization, Petenilhu’s teaching methods surrounds thematic poetry, peer reviews, mock interviews, and panel discussions which deepen understanding and foster confidence among students. These approaches make learning relevant and transformative.

Advisor for School Education and SCERT, Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome says Nagaland is proud of her on being given a national recognition.

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“We are proud of her. She (Petenilhu) illustrates the best of what we can produce,” Yhome told Nagaland Tribune.

As a teacher, Peleno Petenilhu is a recipient of two district level Teachers Award and was conferred the state level Teachers Award in 2024.

A total of 66 teachers across the country – 45 school teachers and 21 from higher education – will be honoured at a ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on September 5. Each recipient will receive citation, a silver medal and a cash prize of Rs.50,000.