On 22nd August 2025, a Capacity Building Workshop on Strengthening Children’s Valued Educational Capabilities (CVEC)was conducted for the teachers of Tendruk Central School. The workshop formed a key part of the project’s intervention phase, aimed at enhancing teachers’ understanding, knowledge, and skills related to children’s valued educational capabilities.
The programme was organized by the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Projectof Samtse College of Education (SCE). A total of 86 teachers, including the Principal and facilitators, actively participated in the day-long workshop. The sessions were co-facilitated by two core members from SCE, alongside two GESI focal teachers from the school.
The event commenced with the launch of the LIKE Club, marked by a cake-cutting ceremony. In his opening remarks, the Principal commended the initiative of SCE in bringing such meaningful programmes to the school and expressed his gratitude to the college for the opportunity.
The SCE core team introduced the GESI/CVEC Project, highlighting its objectives, strategies, and outcomes, and showing how it fosters safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environments. Participants also learned about the capability approach and the 16 educational capabilities being promoted in schools.
The workshop also faciliated selected activities from the LIKE Club Activity Book which included:
- Creating Inclusive Mind – focused on including everyone irrespective of disability, race, caste, or religion. It promoted aspects annd capabilities like gender equality, social inclusion, participation, physical health, mental wellbeing, love, care, and respect.
- Cross the River – This activity was designed to promote the capabilities of social relations, participation, and Plan/Imagine/Think capabilities. Participants worked together to “cross a river” using a symbolic raft, emphasizing teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while strengthening peer connections.
- Garden of Kindness – This activity was designed to promote the capability of love, care, and respect. It focused on fostering a culture of kindness by encouraging the spread of positive actions and compassionate behavior, symbolically represented through the creation of a “garden” nurtured by kind acts.
- Draw What I Say – strengthened social relations and participation by promoting collaboration and active listening.
Throughout the workshop, teachers reflected on the invisible barriers faced by marginalized groups in schools and the importance of advancing Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)through practical classroom strategies.
The end-line workshop survey, which collected 219 responses from participants across four schools, revealed that over 27.4% of participants had not heard of the capability approach prior to the workshop while 54.7% is unsure of it. 71.8% considered the information presented on the capability approach relevant. Less than 60% of participants reported being aware of GESI principles and educational capabilities before the workshop. However, after the workshop, over 90% of participants reported improvements in their understanding, knowledge, values, and skills related to GESI principles and educational capabilities.
For instance, one participant shared, “Before the workshop, I thought gender equality only meant equality between boys and girls.” Another reflected, “Through this workshop, I understood the importance of different capabilities and how we can integrate them into lessons to support students’ physical, social, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.”
Teachers expressed satisfaction with the interactive and engaging format of the activities, noting that they provided valuable insights for fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments. One participant stated, “I understand that true equality is not just ‘sameness,’ but ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, background, or ability, has real access to opportunities and decision-making.” Another observed, “I have moved from seeing these concepts as just ‘nice ideas’ to understanding their real-life impact on individuals and society, especially children.”
80.8% of teachers (219) from four schools reported significant improvement in their knowledge and expressed confidence in applying it in their classrooms following the CVEC Capacity Building Workshop.
One teacher reflected, “It changed my understanding of creating fair opportunities for everyone regardless of gender, ability, ethnicity, or social background. I have learned that equality is not just about treating everyone the same, but also about recognizing and removing barriers that prevent some people from participating fully.”
Another participant shared, “The workshop gave me hands-on experience, and I can now apply this knowledge and these values in my teaching every day.”
The workshop not only deepened teachers’ understanding of children’s valued capabilities but also inspired them to actively foster safe, inclusive, and equitable school communities. The launch of the LIKE Club further cemented the school’s commitment to promoting GESI principles in everyday teaching and learning.
