ABOUT

Our History

The Moravian Church is the oldest of the Protestant Christian denominations. It traces its origins to Bohemia and Moravia which are provinces of what is now the Czech Republic. In the early 15thPrague named John Hus preached angrily against the corruption of the church hierarchy. In 1415 he was summoned to a council at Konstanz to explain his opinions. He was promised a safe conduct but the promise was not honored. Hus was arrested, given a show trial and burnt at the stake. His ideas survived him and in 1457 a group of followers founded the Unitas Fratrum or Unity of Brethren which is still the official name of the church. It was in the province of Saxony in the eastern part of Germany that the Moravians flourished under the care and guidance of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. From a small village of Herrnhut in Saxony, the Moravians sent the foremost pioneers of the Protestant missionary movement e.g. in 1732 they sent the first missionary to live and work with slaves in West Indies. Beginnings in India trace back to 16th May 1856, when in Keylang (Lahoul Valley) two young Moravian missionaries, August Wilhelm Heyde and Eduard Pagell, felled the first pine trees to build a mission station; and thus began the Tibetan or the Himalayan Mission. In the 1860s and 1870s, Heyde made frequent tours of Ladakh and made the pioneering efforts for the establishment of a mission station in Ladakh; later Rev. Redslob moved to Ladakh as the first resident missionary in August 1885. In January 1887 Rev. Redslob started a small school, originally held in the bazaar and then moved to the mission compound where it was quieter. In April 1887, Dr. Karl Marx (no relation to the communist philosopher), a fully trained medical doctor, set up the Moravian dispensary in Leh; it was a pioneer milestone in allopathic medicine in Ladakh. The mission school in Leh received government patronage in its early years. In 1889 the Kashmir wazir (District Magistrate), Radha Kishan, issued an official edict that families with more than one child should send at least one pupil to the mission school. The missionaries mustered distinguished staff consisting of Dr. Karl Marx, Theodor Schreve, Yoseb (Joseph) Gergan, Samuel Joldan and the British Joint Commissioner's munshi (aide). They offered a syllabus of Tibetan, Urdu, English, Geography, Nature Study, Arithmetic and half an hour' s voluntary Bible study. About seventy pupils joined in the first week but later the number settled to a more manageable total of thirty. Meanwhile other mission schools started in close by villages, Shey and Khalatse. In 1900 there were a total of 275 pupils on the rolls of Moravian schools in Ladakh, Lahoul, Spiti and Kinnaur. Later in the century, on account of various internal and external reasons, the educational work of the Moravian mission came to a standstill in Ladakh. It was only after several decades, in the early 1980s under the pioneering leadership of Nathaniel Batapa the Moravian school in Leh was re-opened for children up to Grade Three and not surprisingly, there was an immediate demand for school admission; followed by Stephen Hishey, the school was upgraded and given a recognition by the government for courses up to Grade Ten. A rural branch of the school started at Matho village in May 1996 which has classes up to Grade Five. Today, with and over-all student body of about thirteen hundred, Moravian Mission School stands as the largest and one of the best school-level academic institutions in Ladakh region, and continues to strive for an all-round development of the student' s lives. Plans are afoot to construct an additional school campus at Skalzangling in Leh with residential facilities for students, a science college section, resource centre for vocational training, and a centre for the education of the disabled.
Moravian Mission School, Leh has achieved insignis as one of the best institutions in Ladakh. It aims to instil a progressive mind-set and has blossomed into a multidisciplinary institution, offering various facilities to impart myriad expertise. The school nurtures leaders of tomorrow, who will succeed in whatever they put their hands to, anywhere in the world, and yet retain a distinctive ethos and essence of India. The school aims to develop the cognitive, emotional, psychomotor and aesthetic faculties of the learner through a number of curricular and co-curricular activities in order to foster team spirit and environmental cognizance. It offers an amiable, stress-free and value based learning experience. It also lays equal emphasis on the proficiency of a learner in the acquisition of essential life skills attitudes, values, and achievement in outdoor co-curricular activities encompassing sports and games.

Principal's Message

History is testimony to the fact that John F. Kennedy believed in new beginnings. His conviction that man had to tread the space for gaining knowledge of the far and beyond, at a time when space travel was unthought-of. With the turn of the calendar, the commitment to take the school to greater heights is more firmly established. New energies, new blood pumped into the system brings a fresh thought and a paradigm shift is being envisaged. Undoubtedly, this would require hard work, perseverance and a firm belief in the adage ‘Yes, We Can’, but we are committed and with a firm resolve, would surge forth to accomplish the vision of our preceding stalwarts who set the tone and tempo for performance.
I thank you for your interest in this exceptional institution which has recorded Three decades of constant development, in the course of which it has accomplished much, making it one of the institution recognized for its excellence and therefore, much sought after by the fresh applicants.
Moravian Mission School tradition happily brings together sound academic achievement with an extensive, vibrant co-curricular programme that includes sports and leadership training programmes. Our mission is to inculcate the love of knowledge in our students and, for this; we aim to develop the skills and aspects of lifelong ‘learning,’ essential for making responsible global citizens. This will make them colossally capable of facing the future with resilience and optimism. On the deeper level, we try to instil the values of respect and trust in relationships that are the foundation of real success.
Moravian family, we look at ourselves as ‘care-givers.’ Our’s is a sterling academic institution; the accent is on the all-round development of personality. I wish you the best in the process of seeking to become a part of this family.

The dream we conceived in 1980 has now come alive with Moravian being ranked amongst Ladakh’s leading Day Schools. The commendable scholastic and co-scholastic achievements of our students bear testimony to our ability and commitment to provide excellence in education. The Moravian society’s endeavor has always been to position schools as frontline leaders in providing new focus and direction in building new paradigms in quality and futuristic education; preparing students for ‘Life beyond School’.
The Moravian schools endeavor to provide students with an opportunity and environment for multifaceted development, where children are encouraged to bloom and develop to their potential. While academic excellence is amongst our primary concerns, we strive to imbue students with appropriate attitudes and values of forbearance, fair play, ethics, empathy, integrity, and fortitude and perseverance. The performance of Moravian Schools more than measures up to these institutional values and goals.
I congratulate the Principals, the teachers and staff members for their effectual role in developing Moravian Mission School, Leh bringing it to such great heights. At this juncture I would also like to express my gratitude to all the stakeholders; school and society management, principals and staff, parents, grandparents, print and electronic media and district administration for their proactive support in enabling Moravian schools to continue to meet the expectations of the society. We hope to spread the light of knowledge and message of quality education and touch many more lives and make that vital difference in building a just and equitable society.

Chairman's Message

Why Moravian

Moravian Mission School, Leh inspires the love for knowledge in students, and encourages a critical thinking and problem-solving approach towards all subjects, concepts and ideas. Moravian graduates complete their education, not only with academic expertise, but also with physical and social leadership capabilities, thus becoming well-rounded individuals. With a newer identity and renewed vigor, Moravian is here to revolutionize new-age education and learning by expanding student's educational opportunities. With a world-class education of international standards, we aim to encourage local talents with a global approach.

Education is evolving, and we are upgrading at the same pace. At Moravian, learning is assessed in student's growth and not in grades. We believe in offering the best by constantly pushing the boundaries. Through our well-grounded faculty, world-class academics and curricula/certifications, state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, and dedicated support staff, we aim to design an ecosystem to empower students in being future-ready. As a reputable school, it offers CBSE Education curricula, and imparts quality education to students ranging from Kindergarten to Grade X