The Bhutan Baccalaureate Curriculum is grounded on six development stages of learners that range from 2 to 17 years. Each stage focuses on a set of Skills, Processes, and Watermarks in five development areas through the rigorous learning process and assessment practices in seven domains. The Domains are English, Dzongkha, Mathematics, Aesthetics & Technology, Sports, and Life Science. The BB Curriculum also consists of courses authorized by AP College Board.

To enable the leaders of tomorrow to embrace opportunities, educational systems need to be ever-evolving, constantly adapting not only to the needs of the present, but also those of an anticipated future. In this light, the Bhutan Baccalaureate curriculum strives to remain futuristic and ever evolving with opportunities for contextualisation at local and national levels, allowing individuals to actualise their potential in becoming a constructive contributory citizen in creating a just and harmonious society.

The Five Areas of Development in the Bhutan Baccalaureate are Social Area of Development, Emotional Area of Development, Spiritual Area of Development, Physical Area of Development, and Cerebral Area of Development.

The Five Areas of Development are the lens through which the Learning Process views the wholistic growth of learners. These areas are not standalone, but deeply interconnected aspects of a learner’s growth. Recognising this, the Learning Process is designed to focus on all five areas simultaneously, ensuring that learners are supported in becoming well-rounded individuals capable of adapting to a rapidly changing world.

The Bhutan Baccalaureate’s Five Areas of Development has also been selected by HundrED’s (in Finland) top 100 education innovations since 2018. Click here to view HundrED’s page on the Bhutan Baccalaureate’s Five Areas of Development.

Assessment and Reporting in the Bhutan Baccalaureate is the engine that drives the Learning Process. It aims to help learners develop Skills, Processes and Watermarks, and grow in the Five Areas of Development. Assessment is a means to enable and nurture wholistic development of Learners. It should help Learners view and understand their Learning journey – the particular areas of improvement and more importantly, the patterns and relationship of their growth.

This analysis of their learning journey is both qualitative and quantitative in nature, through the use and emphasis of Roadmaps, reflection, reviews, and effective feedback. Assessment is a continuous and evolving process, which intends to strengthen and enable a learner’s understanding of themselves. It encourages Learners to constantly be in the learning mode, to recognize and identify their internal resources and areas they want to develop further.

Cross pollination is a process that cuts across all the Seven Domains and the Five Areas of Development. Through this process we should be able to zoom out to see the larger picture and zoom in to see the cellular image. The lens through which we view the world can colour our decisions and affect our choices. Some people prefer to see things up close, others from afar. It is crucially important to know when to zoom in and when to take the bird’s eye view. However, most education systems follow the one-size-fits- all approach and thrusts one idea for all children. In the Bhutan Baccalaureate, Cross Pollination allows for learners to explore the missing link between the domains that has been created by our present educational system.

Rooted in the interconnectedness of our world, the non-silo approach of Cross Pollination forms the basis of all learning in the Bhutan Baccalaureate. Through Cross Pollination, learners connect their experiences, abilities, and knowledge using different Skills, Processes, and Watermarks. It enables learners to constantly challenge themselves to raise their bar to meet the expectations of the changing world. What is true today may not be true tomorrow. The nature and dynamics of change evolves over time.

Skills are the capabilities or mechanisms used by learners to learn, interpret, analyse, and synthesise both existing knowledge and new knowledge. Skills are functional, oriented toward a result, and are often embedded and interlinked. Some examples of Skills include critical thinking, collaboration, and decision making.

Processes are the means by which learners acquire skills and knowledge. Processes help the learner make connections with existing knowledge and experiences and create new knowledge. Processes also help the learner apply and transact this knowledge with others in the community. Some examples of Processes include reflection, exploration, and collaboration.

Watermarks are the inner qualities, character and personality traits, and attitudes that manifest in a learner in specific situations or conditions. The development of these Watermarks is not left to chance or as a positive side effect of the Learning Process. Learners are aware of the Watermarks they want to develop, and intentionally incorporate them into their aspirations and expectations from the Learning Process. Some examples of Watermarks include rigour, self-awareness, and resilience.

The meaning of Aesthetics extends far beyond the appreciation of beauty; it embodies a deep awareness of our interconnectedness with the universe and our role within it. This understanding enables learners to be actively involved in shaping their interactions with the world around them. This outlook encourages a way of life that emphasises collective well-being rather than individual success.

At the same time, Technology has transformed human existence, reshaping how we carry out daily activities and broadening our understanding of the world. Recognising this impact, the Learning Process integrates technology not merely as a tool for learning, but as an essential element in nurturing the wholistic growth of learners. Technology connects learners to resources and global contexts beyond the physical boundaries of their schools. Yet, in a world that is deeply connected by technology, learners need to develop skills that enable them to use technology to augment their intelligence instead of outsourcing their work to technology. This is where the mindset of Aesthetics becomes important. An Aesthetic Mindset is the source of discernment and ethical awareness—qualities that help learners engage with technology in meaningful and responsible ways.

Human beings are a part of nature and possess a fundamental connection to it. Every philosopher who has walked this earth has written volumes about their experiences in engaging with Nature, including their own place in nature as living and thinking beings. The Bhutan Baccalaureate sees Nature and its processes as vital guides for the development of our inner and outer selves. Every human being enters life with a fundamental and innate nature which is pure, joyful, wholesome, creative, and ever-evolving. Such a primordial state is inherently consistent with the processes of the natural world. By recognising our inherent connection and indivisibility with Nature, humans can begin to perceive the natural world as a mirror reflecting their own nature and processes. Such a recognition entails the perception of nature and its functioning as the medium through which individuals learn to learn about themselves, and hence forms a model for human evolution. As such, living in coherence rather than competing with Nature is what the Bhutan Baccalaureate is striving to achieve. By studying Nature, its patterns and its processes, we can learn to synchronise the outer world and our inner world in such a way that we articulate Nature and our dispositions simultaneously and harmoniously, developing genuine appreciation towards the natural wonders around and within as a Watermark through the course of one’s life.

Every individual is part of a larger community. The Bhutan Baccalaureate recognises that the wholistic development of individuals cannot be possible if we separate the individual’s aspirations from that of the community’s. In the Bhutan Baccalaureate, the term ‘community’ is not limited to the individual home or school community that the learner comes from but expands beyond this to encompass all communities that a learner engages and learns with. The Bhutan Baccalaureate’s community-centred approach therefore embeds the learner within their local and global contexts to foster exploration of integral, mutualistic relationships between learners and their communities, ensuring that learning is a dynamic and collective process.