SRINAGAR: In the era of grades and merits, positions and marks, a school located in Ladakh is creating ripples for its unique concept.
The school, which is a part of a revolution initiated by a group of Ladakhi youth in 1988 lead by Sonam Wangchuk, accepts students who have failed, challenging the traditional education system in the region.
A report by Times of India stated that an engineer, activist and reformist Wangchuk started the revolution after getting lessons from his own struggles, “Recognizing the flaws in the educational system, he set out to create a model that would cater to the unique requirements of the region.”
In year 1988 Sonam Wangchuk established Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) to address the issue of high failure rate of students during board exams in the region.
“SECMOL Alternative School which is our eco-friendly campus near Leh, we organise residential activities for Ladakhi youth and students attending college in town,” SECMOL’s official website reads.
“The founders, led by the dynamic Wangchuk, were determined to create an environment where learning was not only about academic excellence but also about understanding and preserving the local culture and environment. They envisioned a place where students could learn practical skills, engage in environmental stewardship, and develop a sense of social responsibility,” the report states.
According to the data accessed by the Times of India from another Wangchuk set Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), a university for mountain development, over 95 per cent students have failed in their board examinations in year 1996. “Over the next two decades, this number has steadily decrease to 25% this year,” TOI report read.
“HIAL is a collaborative exercise between learners and facilitators, and aims to inspire the seekers of knowledge to explore both outside and within themselves. Instead of solving problems with the conventional 3Rs (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmentic), we encourage learners to problem solve using the 3Hs: Bright Head, Kind Heart, and Skilled Hands,” the website of the institute reads.
Wangchuk’s story inspired the storyline for the famous Bollywood movie, 3 Idiots starring Amir Khan. The story struck cords with not only the Indian audiences but with the international audiences as well.
