Druk Padma Karpo School

Since construction started in 1998 this has become a multi-award winning school of over 700 pupils founded by Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and designed in association with Arup with a vision to supply the contemporary education needs of children in an environment of constant change, whilst determined to preserve the cultural heritage of Ladakh.

Druk Padma Karpo School provides quality education in an exceptional learning environment for girls and boys (aged four to sixteen years) living in the remote Himalayan region of Ladakh, North India. The school took its first intake in September 2001 and now has over 800 students with 40% living on campus in purpose built accommodation.

The school draws from a wide catchment area within the Leh valley region and offers residential facilities to local families as well as children from remote areas for whom opportunity and life choices are often limited and quality education is unavailable.

Many of Druk Padma Karpo School’s students are first generation learners who now have the opportunity to study through to matriculation exams, at age sixteen, and then progress to higher education and even college or university. Through the delivery of a carefully tailored and relevant curriculum our students can make considered choices about their future and the lives and careers they wish to follow. They can also acquire expertise to bring back to family villages and, in the long term, help keep these communities alive.