School in the swamp

The film, made by award-winning director Jerry Rothwell, was shown for the first time at the prestigious CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. Sugata and Jerry, took part in a Q&A session following the premiere. It is one of ten films in the running for the Politiken Audience Award, which has a prize of 50,000 Danish Krone.

Filmed over three years in the UK and India, it follows Sugata, Professor of Educational Technology in the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, after winning the $1m Ted Prize in 2013. In particular, it focuses on the ‘school in the swamp’ in remote Korakati, in the Sunderbans of Bengal; and George Stephenson High School, in Killingworth, North Tyneside, where the first School in the Cloud lab opened.

Education guru

The School in the Cloud asks youngsters big, child-focused questions. Working in groups, they find their own answers using the Internet, supported by educators of all kinds – from Skype Grannies to parents and educators - who give them the freedom to explore their curiosity.

The premiere made Screen Daily, the web version of film trade publication Screen International and Indian education website ScooNews.

Meanwhile, Sugata has been named 21st in a list of 30 global education gurus.