Highlights
- Outside the fame of being the school featured in the Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots, the Druk White Lotus School is now receiving sponsors from abroad to arrange for education of children, including specially abled children hailing from the region's remote villages.
- Out of the 671 students here, there are about 200 students from remote areas in the school. Sponsors take care of educational cost of the child studying in the school," says Prasad Eledath, the Principal of the school.
- The school which began to be known as Rancho's school after the character in the Aamir Khan flick has students as far as Kargil, Chilling, Zanskar which are some of the remotest places of the region flocking to get a basic education. For Sunne Yandro, from Kargil district it takes seven hours to reach from Leh to Kargil.
- "I want to become a police officer when I am older," she says. There are more such students who trek for two to three days to reach the school or go home from school. Children who stay in Zanskar trek for3 to 4 days on frozen river beds, stay in caves and then reach school. There have been incidents of avalanches and frozen river bed collapsing wiping out entire families.
- The school's working with two organisations - Drukpa Trust and "Live to Love UK" - for sponsorship to students from remote villages.
- Hostel facility in the school is of great help to these kids and is also a home away from home. "The annual fee for a student is Rs 30,000. Sometimes students from remote areas and in financially unsound conditions are unable to pay the amount and then the school steps in to take care of their expenses," says Eledath.
- Quite a number of global celebrities like Hollywood's Richard Gere and Kashmiri-born British actress Joanna Lumley are patrons. Artists such as the Yardbirds have also been doing programs abroad to support the cause of the school.
- The school is also planning exchange programs with schools in abroad and India to get itself into the limelight even more. "We have already done teacher exchange program. For student exchange program we are not only looking at exchange program with schools abroad but also Indian schools like Blue Bells International and Mothers International," says Eledath.
Outside the fame of being the schoolfeatured in the Bollywood blockbuster
3 Idiots, the DrukWhite Lotus School is now receiving sponsors from abroad toarrange for education of children, including specially abledchildren hailing from the region's remote villages.
Out of the 671 students here, there are about 200students from remote areas in the school. Sponsors take careof educational cost of the child studying in the school," saysPrasad Eledath, the Principal of the school.
The school which began to be known as Rancho's schoolafter the character in the Aamir Khan flick has students asfar as Kargil, Chilling, Zanskar which are some of theremotest places of the region flocking to get a basiceducation. For Sunne Yandro, from Kargil district it takesseven hours to reach from Leh to Kargil.
"I want to become a police officer when I am older," shesays. There are more such students who trek for two to threedays to reach the school or go home from school. Children whostay in Zanskar trek for3 to 4 days on frozen river beds, stayin caves and then reach school. There have been incidents ofavalanches and frozen river bed collapsing wiping out entirefamilies.
The school's working with two organisations - DrukpaTrust and "Live to Love UK" - for sponsorship to students fromremote villages.
Hostel facility in the school is of great help to thesekids and is also a home away from home. "The annual fee for astudent is Rs 30,000. Sometimes students from remote areas andin financially unsound conditions are unable to pay the amountand then the school steps in to take care of their expenses,"says Eledath.
Quite a number of global celebrities like Hollywood'sRichard Gere and Kashmiri-born British actress Joanna Lumleyare patrons. Artists such as the Yardbirds have also beendoing programs abroad to support the cause of the school.
The school is also planning exchange programs withschools in abroad and India to get itself into the limelighteven more. "We have already done teacher exchange program. Forstudent exchange program we are not only looking at exchangeprogram with schools abroad but also Indian schools like BlueBells International and Mothers International," says Eledath.