In this talk, Sonam Wangchuk shares his experience of bringing education reforms in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India.
Sonam Wangchuk is the founder of Students' Educational & Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL).
While he was doing his mechanical engineering at NIT Srinagar he understood the hardships faced by the Ladakhi students in the government schools; 95% of them were failing in their matric exams every year. Once he finished his graduation, he went back to Ladakh and started SECMOL together with some like-minded youth.
After initially starting with coaching classes to help matric students, they soon realized that for a lasting solution they needed to bring reforms in the village primary schools. So they launched an education reform movement in collaboration with the government. Within seven years the results went up from 5% to 55%. Today it stands at 75%. For those who still failed, they set up a very special and innovative school which has produced many inspiring stories.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at