Five Karnataka Teachers Honoured at Childhood Unlocked 2026

BENGALURU, April 18, 2026 - Five pre-primary teachers from government schools in Karnataka were today recognised as outstanding champions of early childhood education at Childhood Unlocked 2026, a landmark convening hosted by Key Education Foundation (KEF) as a Bachpan Manao (BM) collabaction. The Teacher Awards were the centrepiece of a day-long event bringing together educators, policymakers, civil society organisations, and early childhood ecosystem actors from across Karnataka and other states.

Karnataka has over 3000 pre-primary teachers teaching in Balvatika classrooms across the state. With the aim of honouring grassroots champions who are bringing alive play-based learning, five awardees were chosen from more than 300 nominations. These grassroots champions represent the transformative power of everyday dedication in Karnataka's preschools.

Teacher awardee Lakshmi S, KPS Hebbalu, Mysuru said, "This is the first time that I have ever received this kind of recognition. It feels so special to travel to Bangalore and have my daily efforts from the classroom honoured in this way. The award application process was new to me but I am so happy to be here."

Teachers were awarded with a Classroom Library kit by Pratham Books, Gift certificates by Ekya Schools and a pre-school play kit for their classrooms.

"Early educators and anganwadi teachers are the true champions of playful learning. They must be celebrated for creating joyful experiences and playful learning spaces for children, thus contributing to thriving childhoods." said Ms Deepika

Mogilishetty, Chief of Policy and Partnerships, EkStep Foundation

"Speaking with teachers from different corners of the state and seeing how much they accomplish with limited resources is beyond inspiring. It reminds us how critical it is to celebrate our educators and offer them a platform to showcase their accomplishments" says Swetha Guhan, Co-founder, Key Education Foundation

About Childhood Unlocked 2026

Themed "Everyday Moments Matter - Small Interactions, Big Futures," Childhood Unlocked 2026 is KEF's second annual convening, positioning early childhood education (ECE) as a priority for Karnataka and the nation. Held on April 18, 2026, at the Bangalore International Centre, Domlur, the event brought together diverse stakeholders samaj, sarkar, and bazaar, across preschools and Anganwadis in a shared commitment to quality at scale.

The first edition, held in 2025, convened 100+ participants including educators, system actors, partners, and supporters. This year's edition integrated into its design Bachpan is Gr8, comprising the eight wonder areas that make childhood thrive: Play, Social Bonding, All round skills, Education, Creativity, Stories, Nature and Quiet Time.

Programme Highlights

• BM8 Talks: Eight minute talks raising ideas about childhood - eight speakers, eight stories on the power of each of the eight Bachpan is Gr8 wonder areas.
• Teacher Awards ceremony recognising five exceptional LKG & UKG teachers from government schools selected from 300+ applications
• Sessions spotlighting government partners working to implement quality ECE at scale
• Showcasing KEF's solutions and learnings from across Indian states
• Planned launch of a playbook i play on 'Designing an Ideal ECE Environment'
• Panel Discussion on "If we designed systems truly around what children need and not what we can measure - what would change?"

(Panelists:-Rathish Balakrishnan: Co-founder and Managing Partner at Sattva Consulting, Jayshree Oberoi: Senior Director,

The Akanksha Foundation & Meenu Bhambani: Vice President, State Street.

Moderator:- Deepika Mogilishetty: Chief - Policy and Partnerships at EkStep)

Voices from the Convening

"Childhood Unlocked 2.0 positions Key Education Foundation as a leading voice in early childhood education , advocating for play-based, child-centric learning grounded in evidence and practice. It is a space to elevate what works, centre those closest to the child, and strengthen the systems that make lasting change possible." - Mangal Pandey, CEO, Key Education.

Foundation

"Early Childhood Education deserves to be in the spotlight right now because it forms the most fundamental foundation for all learning. I am glad to have been able to support the teacher awards and hope to see work in this space flourish and grow." - Mr. K C Ramamurthy, Chairman, CMR group of institutions.

Why It Matters

Early childhood education is the foundation on which all future learning rests. Research consistently shows that the quality of interactions a young child experiences in their earliest years; with teachers, parents, and caregivers shapes cognitive, social, and emotional development for life. Yet the educators at the frontline of this work often go unrecognised.

Childhood Unlocked 2026 challenges that reality. By honouring government school teachers, engaging policymakers, and gathering Karnataka's ECE ecosystem in one room, the event advances a regional narrative of investment in childhood, one where quality is not the exception, but the expectation.

About

Key Education Foundation (KEF) is dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education across India in partnership with the government through evidence-based, play-centred approaches.

Bachpan Manao is a social mission seeded by EkStep Foundation, working to nurture joy, play, learning, and holistic growth in the early years of childhood across India.