1. Value Education – Karma Ura
OF CURRENT VALUE EDUCATION
KNOWN BY DIFFERENT NAMES IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Moral education (Japan, Korea, European countries, etc.)
Value education
Character education (USA)
Civic education
Citizenship education
Ethics education

2. Values:
Beliefs & attitudes about the way things should be, & what is important

3. Values taught in the U.S-last 50 years?
Emphasized personal rights?
De-emphasized social responsibility?
Produced psychological individualism?
Undermines trust in others
Undermines commitment
Undermines altruism

4. The Centre for Bhutan Studies
12/8/2018
The Centre for Bhutan Studies

5. The Centre for Bhutan Studies
Sense of belonging, neighbours helping each other, and safety are all low in Thimphu
12/8/2018
The Centre for Bhutan Studies

11. ? ? Yes No Yes No HOW DO WE TEACH VALUE EDUCATION? South Korea Bhutan
Text Book Specialization in Value Education
Teacher Specialization in Value Education
Yes No
Yes No ? ?
South Korea
Bhutan

12. The hidden curriculum: the moral atmosphere of a school (John Dewey)
systems of symbols, disciplinary codes, hierarchy, ceremonies, and songs that heighten pupils' collective identities. Education is not value neutral anyway.

13. Class 4, 5, 6 Social Studies Science Class 7, 8 Class 9, 10 Dzo Eng
Earth & people
Dzo
Eng
Geo
Hist
Sci
Class 9, 10
Dzo
Eng
Geo
Eco
Civics
Hist
Phy
Che
Bio

14. WHICH TEXTBOOKS TEACH VALUE EDUCATION?
Socials Studies for classes 3, 4, 5, 6
Dzongkha for classes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Civics for classes 9 & 10
Economics for classes 10
Geography for classes 7, 8, 9-10
English for classes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
History for classes, 7, 8, 9, 10

15. What is not published has not happened at all
— Attributed to Sloboban Milosevic, International Court of Justice testimony, 2004

16. General Observations of Value Contents in Textbooks
Both moral character (honesty, responsibility, respect) and social character (teamwork, dignity of work, loyalty, dedication, sacrifice) emphasized indirectly.
Conformity (drig) , heirarchy and social stability emphasized indirectly, but too descriptive.
Social institutions like tsechu and festivals, traditional games emphasized, but their roles in value transmission not discussed. In social conventions, excessive and irrelevant focus on description of bureaucratic and political post holders’ titles and clothes.
Personal hygiene and sanitation emphasized but does not advance later to present structural issues of environmental degradation and pollution:
No systematic notion of at-risk youths involving juvenile delinquencies: drugs and alcohol unwanted pregnancies, association with antisocial, deviant peer groups and pervasive exposure to violence in the media

17. General Observations of Value Contents in Textbooks
Altruism and compassion emphasized: designed to help others at a cost to oneself. But no motivational and generation techniques (Lojong (mind training) and Tong-len (exchanging self and other) etc) presented later.
Mutualism emphasized: design to help others at a benefit to oneself. Friendship emphasized.
Reciprocity and exchange of kindness emphasized: with respect to parents and kings. Hinted: kin selection (cost < benefit to a group) and Tit-for-Tat). Parental repayment of kindness emphasized.
Merit and karma asserted. Rebirth and incarnation asserted but no conceptual grounding presented.
Excessive focus on magical aspects of religious lineages over ethical, social or philosophical ideas they presented., Even the magical aspect cannot be presented without introducing tantra approach (focus on direct experience, whole person, energy, magical and symbolic, samsara=nirvana)
Modelling moral behaviour : Ashoka, Guru, Buddha, Peling, Zhabdrung, Kings. Too unattainable figures, even though they represent the ethical & spiritual qualities of archetypal bodhisattvas . They are also decontextualised from doctrinal and value implications of their teachings. Approach is historical and chronological. For values, doctrinal approach would have been useful.
Who is a Buddha vs what they taught?

18. General Observations of Value Contents in Textbooks
With respect to values, textbooks designed to exercise more declarative memory rather than reasoning and working memory. Textbooks dwell more on when than why and how?
Social conventions emphasized, relying on social conventional reasoning. But moral or ethical reasoning not encouraged systematically. No moral dilemmas presented in narratives.
No progressive concepts of moral education or character development, random narratives across subjects and classes. Inversion of standards – basic things suddenly repeated at higher classes.
No underlying application of any moral development concepts such as Kohlbergian, Piagetian or Buddhist moral development theories.
No systematic and progressive unfolding of Buddhist concepts over classes if that is wanted.
No distinction between legal and moral rights, no distinction between conventions and ethics, compliance to laws emphasized

19. Summary Observations of Value Contents in TEXTBOOKS
Abrupt variations in standards across subjects in the same class and within the same subjects across classes.
General lack of precision of concepts and language. Very regular typo errors and odd expressions.
Order of arguments not logical and in SS, civics, and history textbooks. Too many irrelevant asides, eg., in Civics.
Replacement needed in many textbooks, obsolete information in SS, Geography, History (19-20 century) Civics and Economics.

20. Broader Contemporary Context
Sudden Social Transformation and Dislocation, bringing value and community disintegration
New sense of Individuality & Anxiety, poses question on a meaningful life
Transition to the Information Age, attention as the ultimate resource
Population Increase & Urbanization

21. The Emerging World View
Education is for competence! focus on character education is too diffuse. Failure to strategise an economy that gives meaningful employment and self-employment leading to reliance on foreign investment as solution
Economic liberalisation, free trade is the solution ! less spirit of indigenous development ideas, huge consequence on values and identity, cannot claim different identity and GNH while emphasizing dominantly western ideas of free market and democracy.
Libertarian politics is the solution! but we have just begun experimenting what is democracy, too early to say what is success!

22. What Do We Do Now?
Soteriology: Concept of a GNH society as a goal, move from the goal to filling up details of parts. Not from the present situation to the future goals. This will help clarify what their lives are for and what is worth working for.
Theories: Reflect concepts relevant for the 21st century and beyond consistent with holistic wellbeing; make it forward looking. This will make people value values as their moral reasoning develops
Methodology: Include forms of practice and classroom teachings. Include engagement in resolving moral dilemmas at smaller scale. Promotes social responsibility and service to the community.
Literature: Rewrite New Textbooks from Classes 1 to X. Make compatible reading list collections available.
Basic Design of Textbooks: By presenting parts progressively, move from the edge (class 3) to the centre (by class X) like in a mandala,
Scope of value education: Six aspects of moral personhood

23. Universally Shared Values?
But only paying attention to them denies what makes us particular, diverse
Equality, Equity, Justice, Fairness
Freedom, Participation, Inclusion
Peace and Non Violence
Respect, Diversity, Tolerance, Acceptance, Understanding
Human Dignity, Individual Worth
Responsibility – personal, social, civic, environmental
Care and Concern for others, Compassion, Collective well being
Honesty, Integrity, Transparency, Accountability
Reconciliation, Truth, Forgiveness

24. GNH Values and Curriculum
There will be critics (Relativists) who say
People’s happiness will depend on the fulfillment of values; the type of values is irrelevant since they are relative.
But from a GNH point of view
There is no separation of people’s happiness from the fulfillment of nine dimensions of GNH; it is interdependent. Fulfilling nine dimensions simultaneously is fulfilling happiness, subjectively and objectively.

25. Additional core Bhutanese values:
Traditions and cultures
Loyalty to and unity based on Monarchy, tsa-wa-sum unclear slogan
Family and community support
Karma, freewill and freedom
Interdependence of all sentient beings

26. Self No abiding self Others At an individual level:
At a societal level:
a radical, deconstructive critique
of prevailing cultural values and presuppositions a vision of the inter-relatedness of existence
that allows---indeed entails---
an attitude of non-attached caring
expressed as compassionate activity
free of all self-cherishing concern.
-Justin Whitaker
At an individual level:
a practice of radical self-transformation
based on insight into the impermanent nature of reality and human existence - Justin Whitaker
No abiding self
Self
Others
Relation
Deconstruction
Interaction

27. VALUES are linked to VISION - M. Parker ”Creating Shared Vision
Values are powerful mental images of what we want to create in the future
- M. Parker ”Creating Shared Vision

28. Relationships among Domains/Variables: A Deductive View

29. Relationships among Domains/Variables: A Holistic View = Interdependence
Example Only
Arrow: cause-effect relationship
“-” sign: negative effect
Two lines: delay

30. Psychological wellbeing
GNH domain
Values
Compassion, generosity, forgiveness, calmness, gratitude, taking account of karma, empathy, truthfulness
Values
Actions Practice
Meditation for mental training
Prayer - ritual as attitude training
Pilgrimage – as aid to meditation, assimilation and physical activity
Volunteering
Donation

41. GNH domain Values Actions Practice
Health
GNH domain
Vitality, fitness, soundness, self-worth, prevention, precaution, non-malignance
Values
Values
Yoga and other physical activities
Well balanced diet
Avoidance of intoxicants (drugs, alcohol etc.)
Avoidance of risky behaviours
Public health
Mindful consumption
Actions Practice

46. Stress free, serenity, tranquility, bonding, healthy lifestyles
GNH domain
Time Use
Values
Stress free, serenity, tranquility, bonding, healthy lifestyles
Values
Work -life balance
Sleeping hours
Recreation and leisure satisfaction
Community service
Socialisation
Actions Practice

50. GNH domain Values Actions Practice
Education
GNH domain
Creativity, openness, diligence, insightfulness, perseverance, patience, creative thinking
Values
Values
Historical literacy
Cultural literacy
Civic literacy
Ecological literacy
Food and nutrition literacy
Health literacy
Indigenous knowledge literacy
Actions Practice

52. GNH domain Values Actions Practice
Good Governance
GNH domain
Integrity, trust, authenticity, justice, professionalism, wisdom credibility, far sightedness, competence, empowerment, non-discriminative, commitment
Values
Values
Service delivery
Political participation
Rights, responsibilities freedom
Rule of law
Media
Judiciary
Actions Practice

57. GNH domain Values Actions Practice
Ecology
GNH domain
Interdependence, eco-consciousness, sustainability, non-doministic, non-utilitarian, aesthetic, naturalistic, reverence
Values
Values
High air quality
High water quality
Conserve biodiversity
Retain wildlife species
Efficient energy use
Proper waste disposal
Eco friendly mass transportation system
Eco friendly Industry
Eco friendly foundation on urban sprawl
Land use
Actions Practice

60. Self reliance, security, quality sustainability, adequacy
Living Standards
GNH domain
Self reliance, security, quality sustainability, adequacy
Values
Values
Actions Practice
Basic needs
Food security
Income sufficiency
Financial security
Housing

64. GNH domain Values Actions Practice
Community vitality
GNH domain
Altruism, trust, reciprocity, fairness, fidelity, family closeness, solidarity, equality, unity, hospitality, cooperation, honor, sociability, cohesion
Values
Values
Actions Practice
Strong family ties
Volunteering
Donation
Labour exchange
Community participation
Socialization

70. Identity, dignity, non-alienation
Culture
GNH domain
Identity, dignity, non-alienation
Values
Values
Actions Practice
Media
Dialect proficiency
Arts and architecture
Games, tsechus, celebrations
Artisan skills

79. LONG TERM ACTIONS: TO ACHIEVE HARMONY OF EXISTENCE
Promote successful birth, living, aging and dying
Reorganise structure of government from present service delivery system to GNH focused organisational development.
Balance national consciousness between external sensation based stimuli and internal contemplation based stimuli
Stabilize material affluence level to balance economy and ecology
Restore purity of air, light, noise, water and soil
Regenerate community and social life
Protect biodiversity
Influence the world to change, and be changed by good influences

80. MEDIUM TERM ACTIONS: TO ENTRENCH GNH INFLUENCE
Formulate fiscal system in harmony with GNH (budget allocation, tax and non-tax penalty system)
Introduce full-cost national accounting and footprint analysis to complement GDP accounts
Influence curriculum and media towards GNH
Influence OD and HR towards GNH
Influence transportation, industrial, financial and agriculture systems towards GNH

81. SHORT TERM ACTIONS: TO MOBILIZE CONSCIENCE
Fix GNH indicators for baseline and targets
Create budgets and programmes to achieve those targets
Provide ongoing commentary on current issues from GNH perspective
Disseminate GNH to promote unity of purpose
Educate people on GNH for behavioural change: hold conferences, produce multi-lingual films

82. Clarifying ultimate ends Understanding interrelationships
Trade-offs
Tipping points (for breakouts and collapses)
Delayed consequences
Understanding process and logical orders of changes
Focusing management on controllable means instead of results which are often not controllable
Identifying leverage points and important indicators

83. Psychological wellbeing
GNH domain
Values
Compassion, generosity, forgiveness, calmness, gratitude, taking account of karma, empathy, truthfulness
Values
Meditation for mental training
Prayer - ritual as attitude training
Pilgrimage – as aid to meditation, assimilation and physical activity
Volunteering
Donation
Actions Practice

84. GNH domain Values Actions Practice Values Health
Vitality, fitness, soundness, self-worth, prevention, precaution, non-malignance
Values
Values
Yoga and other physical activities
Well balanced diet
Avoidance of intoxicants (drugs, alcohol etc.)
Avoidance of risky behaviours
Public health
Mindful consumption
Actions Practice

85. Stress free, serenity, tranquility, bonding, healthy lifestyles
GNH domain
Time Use
Values
Stress free, serenity, tranquility, bonding, healthy lifestyles
Values
Work -life balance
Sleeping hours
Recreation and leisure satisfaction
Community service
Socialisation
Actions Practice

86. GNH domain Values Actions Practice Values Education
Creativity, openness, diligence, insightfulness, perseverance, patience, creative thinking
Values
Values
Historical literacy
CuCivic literacy
ltural literacy
Ecological literacy
Food and nutrition literacy
Health literacy
Indigenous knowledge literacy
Actions Practice

87. GNH domain Values Actions Practice Values Good Governance
Integrity, trust, authenticity, justice, professionalism, wisdom credibility, far sightedness, competence, empowerment, non-discriminative, commitment
Values
Values
Service delivery
Political participation
Rights, responsibilities freedom
Rule of law
Media
Judiciary
Actions Practice

88. GNH domain Values Actions Practice Values Ecology
Interdependence, eco-consciousness, sustainability, non-doministic, non-utilitarian, aesthetic, naturalistic, reverence
Values
Values
High air quality
High water quality
Conserve biodiversity
Retain wildlife species
Efficient energy use
Proper waste disposal
Eco friendly mass transportation system
Eco friendly Industry
Eco friendly foundation on urban sprawl
Land use
Actions Practice

89. Self reliance, security, quality sustainability, adequacy
Living Standards
GNH domain
Self reliance, security, quality sustainability, adequacy
Values
Values
Actions Practice
Basic needs
Food security
Income sufficiency
Financial security
Housing

90. GNH domain Values Actions Practice Values Community vitality
Altruism, trust, reciprocity, fairness, fidelity, family closeness, solidarity, equality, unity, hospitality, cooperation, honor, sociability, cohesion
Values
Values
Actions Practice
Strong family ties
Volunteering
Donation
Labour exchange
Community participation
Socialization

91. Identity, dignity, non-alienation
Culture
GNH domain
Identity, dignity, non-alienation
Values
Values
Actions Practice
Media
Dialect proficiency
Arts and architecture
Games, tsechus, celebrations
Artisan skills

92. SUPW (Community Services Learning)
Values
SUPW (Community Services Learning)
Rituals (Prayers)
Classroom Teachings
Meditation

93. Cultural values in classroom teachings
the teaching of basic Buddhist principles, such as the three refuges and the five precepts, the four noble truths and eight noble paths so that students develop understanding of how to live wholesome lives. No exploration of interdependence = emptiness= voidness = no abiding self = openess not explored anywhere. Also no exploration of union of skillfull means and wisdom. It has to be Vajrayana approach.
discussion and reflection on key Buddhist teachings, such as cause and effect, interdependence and impermanence, to help students develop their understanding of the way things are implied. Do not know actual situation.
promoting positive qualities and ethical values by studying appropriate biographies, tales and mythologies. But the direction haphazard, progression unclear. Selection of themese need improvement.
introducing Buddhist teachers to schools to provide opportunities for interaction with the students. Not included. Pilot schemes in Thimphu.
regular meditation practice to familiarise students with their inner world of thoughts and feelings. Not included.
Learning by doing, social engagement as young boddhisattvas, absent. Young Boddhisattva course can be included.

94. Cultural values in classroom teachings Ethics: Theory and Practice
Begin with the elementary teachings of the Buddha, in Vajrayana Approach
End with its analysis of contemporary moral issues—particularly within the context of Bhutan. Issues could include consumerism, globalization, social justice, ICT, media, competitive politics, environmental ethics, etc.

95. Why introduce meditation in schools? The next transformation
“Cognitive and Academic Performance
Mindfulness meditation may improve ability to maintain preparedness and orient attention.
Mindfulness meditation may improve ability to process information quickly and accurately.
Concentration-based meditation, practiced over a long-term, may have a positive impact on academic achievement.
Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being
Mindfulness meditation may decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.
Mindfulness meditation supports better regulation of emotional reactions and the cultivation of positive psychological states.
Development of the Whole Person
Meditation can support the development of creativity.
Meditation supports and enhances the development of skills needed for interpersonal relationships.
Empathetic responses are increased with meditation and mindfulness practices.
Meditation may help to cultivate self-compassion.”
Source: Santa Clara University

96. The ‘religious’ issue
“Opening the contemplative mind in schools is not a religious issue but a practical epistemic question. It is about how we know, not about what knowledge we are giving others. Inviting the contemplative simply includes the natural human capacity for knowing through silence, looking inward, pondering deeply, beholding, witnessing the contents of our consciousness and so forth. These approaches cultivate an inner technology of knowing and thereby a technology of learning and pedagogy without any imposition of religious doctrine whatsoever. If we knew that particular and readily available activities would increase concentration, learning, wellbeing, and social and emotional growth and catalyze transformative learning, we would be cheating our students to exclude it.”
(Tobin Hart, “Opening the Contemplative Mind in the Classroom”, Journal of Transformative Education Vol 2. No. 1 January 2004, p.29)

97. Community Service Learning
Investigate values students chose, to study in relation to their school or wider communities. Students deal with questions like: what is a value? What are our values? What action do we see coming from values?
Carryout projects and make decisions based on their observation. Students collect data using questionnaires, interviews or other methods. Students reflect on questions such as why is this an issue? What are particular issues in our community? What do we need to find out?
Report their findings and decide on the action that would need to be implemented around the values, making action plans to achieve aims they have set.

98. RITUALS (prayers)
Make it more meaningful, shorten it to release time for other elements of rituals
Introduce the world of symbols and techniques to help student understand arts and culture in general

99. 6 Aspects of Moral Personhood
Reason
Identity
Values
Character
Behaviour
Emotion
logic justice for evaluation of values to resolve moral dilemmas
ideology of highly moral individual, being good, self-reflective, self-righteous,
self-critical
feeling, desiring, emotions that respond to moral violations, or that motivate moral behavior
all behaviours—overt or covert, physical or verbal or mental
enduring tendencies to believe in the moral rightness or wrongness of a behaviour or state of being, cognition
stable dispositions to respond to situations in moral ways through character traits, personality
Source: Marvin W. Berkowitz. (1998). The Education of the Complete Moral Person

100. Values
= PRINCIPLES
Indicators
= IMPLEMENTATION
Policies

101. Most indicators are about market economy
INDICATORS = Value OF society
Most indicators are about market economy
Change in indicators is a first step towards changing or reflecting new values

102. VALUES & VISION DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
Our drive to action, our will to act, should be driven by what we say we value and believe.
If a practice is suggested from outside, our first question should be WHY? - How will doing this, using this practice, help us achieve what we say we value?
As we explore new practices we should constantly reflect on how well it enables us to achieve what we value.
WHY?
Julia Atkin From Values & Beliefs about Learning to Principles & Practice