Session Information
27 SES 14 B, Emotions in Education
Symposium
Contribution
In the symposium the Bhutanese governmental strategy for “Educating for GNH” will be expanded and, in relation to this, the impact of the strategy so far will be presented, based on data material gathered in 2013 in Bhutanese Upper secondary schools. GNH is a strategy for social and economic change in Bhutan and has consequently since 2010 been operationalised in different policy decisions and actions. “Educating for GNH” intendeds to induce changes in age-old traditions of teaching and learning practices. The motive of the strategy is to internalize the values of GNH in every step of teaching and learning. As the first Prime Minister Thinley puts it, “A genuinely GNH-inspired educational system aim at ensuring that values related to GNH will be so deeply felt and internalized that they will manifest simply and naturally in all situations—in and out of school (Delegates Booklet – GNH workshop 19th January – 12th February 2010, p. 34). The vision includes, that the school system will have GNH-minded teachers and GNH-infused learning environments, and access to these for all Bhutanese children and youth. “Educating for GNH” is being implemented through five pathways: 1. Infusing GNH into school curriculum across all the subjects 2. Broader learning environment-meditation and mind training and creating GNH ambience and atmosphere. 3. Nonformal and informal education 4. Holistic assessment In the presentation focus will be on the concept of happiness, trying to understand the meaning of it and how it is implemented in the education system. Challenges arise from the fact that the ideology of Happiness currently plays a key role in educating children and young people for being able to participate in continuously developing Bhutan in an international context and at the same time upholding Bhutanese values and rules, based on Buddhist philosophy. This may seem very complex and mutually antagonistic, which it also is. The role of the teacher will be unfolded from the perspective of international research and It will be discussed how happiness is understood as a political and ideological concept and how the strategy of GNH is being implemented and perceived by principals and teachers in selected Bhutanese Upper secondary schools. Examples from interviews with teachers in Bhutan will be analysed and integrated in the discussions.
References
Braun, A.B. (2009). Gross National Happiness in Bhutan: A Living Example of an Alternative Approach to Progress. Penn Libraries, University of Pennsylvania, ScholarlyCommons. (downloaded 06.11.14) Dorji T. (2012). Bhutan: Gross National Happiness? I am WUTTINEE. Fisker, Jonas (2008): Lykke og subjektivt velvære. I: Myszak, Anders & Nørby, Simon (2008: Positiv psykologi - en introduktion til videnskaben om velvære og optimale processer. Hans Reitzels Forlag Mancall M. (2004). Gross National Happiness and Development: An Essay in eds Ura K. & K. Galay, Gross National Happiness and Development. The Centre for Bhutan Studies. Priesner, S., 1999. Gross National Happiness – Bhutan’s vision of development and its challenges. Published in Gross National Happiness, Discussion Papers, The Center for Bhutan studies, Thimphu, Bhutan 1999, pp. 24-52 Tashi, K.P., 2004. The Role of Buddhism in Achieving Gross National Happiness. In First International Conference on Gross National Happiness. Thimpu Bhutan: Centre for Bhutan Studies. ThinleyJ. Y., 2009b. Opening Address: Educating for Gross National Happiness. P.C. o.E. First Principals’ Workshop, 21. January 2010. Upreti, B. C., (2008). Bhutan’s Strategy for Development and Self-Relianece: The Objectives and Operationalisation of Gross National Happiness. The Centre for Bhutan Studies. Ura K., 2007. Gross National Happiness and Buddhism. Dharma World 34:28-30.
Search the ECER Programme
- Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
- Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
- Search for authors and in the respective field.
- For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
- If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.