Ladakh Teacher Turns War Bunkers Into 'Cave Classrooms' for Experiential Learning
Kargil teacher Mohd Mustafa Kamal wins National Teachers Award 2026 for turning war-era bunkers into 'cave classrooms' with tech-enabled, experiential Social Science lessons.
Mohd Mustafa Kamal, a 41-year-old educator from Wakha village near Kargil in Ladakh, has been conferred the National Teachers Award 2026. President Droupadi Murmu presented the honour in New Delhi on September 5, Teachers' Day, recognising his pioneering work at Government Model Middle School in the Grong Pashkum area of Kargil district.
Kamal's approach centres on transforming local, war-scarred landscapes into living classrooms. At the Government Model Middle School, Pashkum, students act as junior archaeologists, exploring cave shelters dug by villagers during the 1999 Kargil War and the ruins of medieval forts built by local chieftains. This hands-on exploration of local history and heritage, he explains, instils curiosity and makes Social Science lessons more engaging and effective.
The initiative extends beyond exploration. Students gain practical experience by painting cave walls and creating replicas of seals, coins, and toys from fine clay. Kamal has also redesigned regular classroom dynamics, rearranging seating to mimic the Indian Parliament with 'ruling' and 'opposition' groups, while he acts as Speaker. Debates on contemporary issues help students understand democratic processes at the national level.
His toolkit includes game-based learning such as 'Great Bath Ludo', inspired by Mohenjo-Daro, and the use of artefacts like old stones and utensils collected by students to anchor discussions on ancient history. He has integrated digital platforms including School Bhuvan, Google Earth, Stellarium, Kahoot, and Quizizz, and has contributed lessons to the PM eVIDYA programme.
The Ministry of Education noted that since 2011, Kamal has connected history, geography, economics, and civics with local heritage and community life. He has also trained over 1,000 teachers in context-based education. His research, 'Contextualizing Geography Education in Ladakh', argues that the region's unique landscape and cultural heritage make it an unparalleled setting for learning geography through immersive, practical methods.