On 11 July 2025, a Knowledge Sharing Event was held at the Curriculum Office of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) to discuss the integration of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) capability indicators into the national curriculum. The event was attended by 12 curriculum officers.
Dr. Kinley Seden provided an overview of the GESI Project’s aims and objectives, highlighting the importance of embedding inclusion and gender equality across school subjects. The discussion centred on how GESI indicators can be incorporated not only in traditionally related subjects such as History, Social Studies, and Geography, but also across other disciplines to create a more holistic approach.
The officers acknowledged that ideas and content related to GESI already exist in various subjects. It was agreed that focused efforts in curriculum mapping and integration should begin in earnest from the third week of August 2025.
Concerns were raised about the challenges of integration across all subjects, with some officers suggesting a more realistic approach targeting specific domains initially. For example, environmental themes related to inclusion can be integrated into science subjects, while most GESI-related content currently aligns with humanities and social sciences.
The discussion also highlighted that curriculum integration alone may not be sufficient. The implementation phase requires significant attention, particularly in shifting school culture and building teacher capacity to effectively deliver inclusive education. Variations in terminology and understanding may also present obstacles, reinforcing the need for clear guidelines and training.
Curriculum officers noted that inclusion is already one of the guiding principles of the Cambridge curriculum, and that learner inclusion and cognitive diversity are emphasised throughout. Additionally, elements of Gross National Happiness (GNH) indicators and societal values focused on inclusion are currently being developed for integration into the curriculum through a holistic approach.
The event also explored how pre-service teacher education incorporates inclusion principles. Questions were raised regarding the extent to which inclusion is embedded in teacher training at colleges, including the possibility of enhancing such integration at institutions such as Samtse and Paro College of Education.
Overall, the Knowledge Sharing Event reinforced the commitment to advance GESI integration within the Bhutanese education system through curriculum development, capacity building, and cultural change in schools.
