Bhubaneswar: The combination of bright head, skilled hands and a compassionate heart (3H) is the very essence of education, said innovator, environmentalist, educationist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Sonam Wangchuk while addressing the students of SAI International School here Wednesday.
He delivered a Lecture on ‘3R to 3H: The Next Learning Revolution’, where he stressed that education, or grooming any person, is not about the head or the 3R (Reading, WRiting, ‘ARithmetic), rather it is all about the 3H. He also outlined the importance of hands-on learning and inspired students to strengthen themselves by applying their text book knowledge in real life situations to bring in a positive difference in the society.
He shared with the students how the increasing student drop out and failure rates prompted him to start the famous eco-friendly and self-sustainable alternative school, Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), which has become a role model for various educationists. He elaborated on how he harnessed the latent potential of the students labelled as failure and helped them to stand in their life. By creating a supportive environment, he enabled students to excel and even attain national and international acclaim in their chosen field. Wangchuk opined that students should be taught the way in which they learn better, not in the existing standard system of education.
He spoke about how he used simple knowledge from his school science books to experiment and create the famous ‘Ice Stupas’, which has brought in greenery to the land and solved the water crisis of people of Ladakh. He also detailed on how SECMOL was designed, built and run by the students and made self-sustainable by blending ancient wisdom with modern science. He inspired the students to try and make innovations with the help of earth, sun, ice and fire.
Speaking on the importance of conserving energy, Wangchuk said, “Unless each and every citizen feels the responsibility and pledge to lend their contribution to a cleaner and greener world, the planet will continue to deteriorate.” He also spoke about his latest movement, ‘I live Simply’, which was launched as a tribute to Gandhiji, inspiring people to live a simple live by changing their mind-set, attitude and way of living, so as to make the world a better place. He asked the students to pledge not to waste food, use bicycle, switch off lights and fans if not in use, use staircase etc. He inspired them to become role models in their own community and spearhead the movement.
Wangchuk was accompanied by Gitanjali Jain, Founding CEO of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL). The team went for a guided tour of the school and described it as a beautiful school with energetic and happy students.
Wangchuk is recognised for his uniquely systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote northern India, thus improving the life of Ladakhi youth, as well as for harnessing science and culture creatively for economic progress.
He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2018, ICA Honor Award 2017, San Francisco, CA, Rolex Awards for Enterprise, 2016, International Terra Award for best earth building, 2016 and Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, among others.
He also talked about the same topic at the Lok Seva Bhawan under 21st Lecture of Odisha Knowledge Hub (OKH) series.
The lecture series was attended by senior officials of government, eminent personalities from the field of education, science and technology and distinguished delegates with wide exposure in respective fields along with ministers, MLAs, departmental secretaries and others.
Notably, Wangchuk’s life and achievements had inspired Aamir Khan’s character Phunsukh Wangdu or Rancchoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad (Rancho) in the Rajkumar Hirani directed Hindi film 3 Idiots.