The Summer Retreat (20th – 28th July, 2019) was developed by the Teacher Development Centre and focused on The Royal Academy’s Learning Philosophy, including the Five Areas of Development, Domain Areas, Skills, Processes and Watermarks. The participants included twenty teachers from the twenty Dzongkhags, four teachers from the Thromdes and seven teachers from The Royal Academy. In total, the Summer Retreat saw thirty-one teachers participate. The aim of the Summer Retreat was to catalyze change in the participants’ learning journey and further contribute to their school community upon their return.

The online workshop (16th November – 7th December, 2020) offered an overarching introduction to the concept of the Five Areas of Development and invited participants to reflect upon their own journeys. The online workshop was composed of twenty-two teachers from all twenty Dzongkhags. The workshop was designed to reignite an ongoing process of development in every participant, as they recognize and access their innate potential. Through the lens of the Five Areas of Development, the workshop aimed to help participants gain new insights into their personal development and potential that can catalyze further growth.

1. First Cohort – 23 teachers including support staff. Date: 25th March 2021 to 3rd April 2021. 
2. Second Cohort – 18 teachers including support staff. Date: 5th – 12th April 2021. 

The programmes for the Faculty of Wangbama School were divided into two cohorts – 23 participants in the first cohort and 18 participants in the second cohort. The main focus of the programme was to introduce the concept of The Five Areas of Development to the faculty of Wangbama School. The programme for the first cohort took place from 25th March – 3rd April 2021 and the programme for the second cohort took place from 5th – 12th April 2021.

The two-week immersion programme (30th June – 15th July, 2021) for 22 principals and 44 teachers of 22 schools was the initial step in Transitioning the Bhutan Baccalaureate across the country. The main focus of the programme was to help the participants get an understanding of the Bhutan Baccalaureate and its components such as the Learning Process, the Five Areas of Development, Assessment and more. The programme helped to develop and strengthen relationships amongst participants from 22 schools and faculty from The Druk Gyalpo’s Institute. It laid the foundation for the process of Transitioning the  Bhutan Baccalaureate to their respective schools.

The Immersion Programme for the participants from the Ministry of Education and Bhutan Council for School Examination and Assessment was held from 15-24 September 2021. The programme aimed to provide the participants with an understanding of the Bhutan Baccalaureate and its components like the Learning Process, Five Areas of Development, Philosophy, Assessment, and more. A key aim of the programme was to also provide an understanding of the process of transitioning the Bhutan Baccalaureate in the 22 Schools.

A cohort of 66 teacher graduates from the Colleges of Education underwent a six-month-long (15th July – 15th December 2021) residential Post Graduate Diploma Programme at The Druk Gyalpo’s Institute, after which they were deployed on secondment for three years to the selected 22 schools assigned to them. The six-month Post Graduate Diploma Programme was developed for recent graduates of B.Ed programmes to further enrich their understanding of education by imbibing the Philosophy and Learning Process as envisioned in the Bhutan Baccalaureate system. This programme was designed as a full-time, intensive, residential course at The Druk Gyalpo’s Institute in Pangbisa, Paro.

The Immersion Programme for the participants from the Colleges of Education took place from 19th January to 1st February 2022. The programme aimed to provide the participants with an understanding of the Bhutan Baccalaureate and its components like the Learning Process, Five Areas of Development, Philosophy, Assessment and more. The programme provided a space for learning, where the faculty from the Colleges of Education, the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute and officials from the Ministry of Education worked together to contextualize the Bhutan Baccalaureate to their Institutional environment and developed a detailed Roadmap for transitioning to the Bhutan Baccalaureate.

The Immersion Programme for the participants from the Colleges of Education, the Dzongkhag/Thromde Education Officers and a few officials from the Ministry of Education took place from 16th – 29th March 2022. The programme aimed to provide the participants with an understanding of the Bhutan Baccalaureate and its components like the Learning Process, Five Areas of Development, Philosophy, Assessment and more. The programme provided a space for learning, where the faculty from the Colleges of Education, the Dzongkhag/Thromde Education Officers, the Ministry of Education and the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute worked together to contextualize the Bhutan Baccalaureate in their respective environments.

The Bhutan Baccalaureate School Leadership Programme was organised
in Pangbisa, Paro from the 23rd to the 27th of January 2023. The
programme was attended by Principals of the 22 schools transitioning
the Bhutan Baccalaureate and 20 Dzongkhag Education Officers and 4
Thromde Education Officers.In preparation for the implementation of the Learning Process of the
Bhutan Baccalaureate in the 22 schools from 2023, the Bhutan
Baccalaureate School Leadership Programme was designed to help
Principals, DEO/TEOs, Mentors, MoESD and Druk Gyalpo’s Institute
develop clarity on their roles in implementing the Learning Process from 2023. The programme was an opportunity for the principals of the Bhutan Baccalaureate schools to learn from each other’s successes and
challenges. The experiences shared by the principals on the transition
programme also helped the Ministry of Education and Skills
Development and Druk Gyalpo’s Institute enrich the content and
process of delivery of the transition programmes in 2023.

The Immersion Programme for the 23 ECCD facilitators and focal DEOs was organized in Pangbisa, Paro from the 4th to the 10th June, 2023. During the programme, ECCD facilitators and their respective focal District Education Officers (DEOs) collaborated to create a comprehensive Roadmap for their respective centres. This Roadmap will serve as a comprehensive plan for each centre to outline their action plan and indicators of success to increase effectiveness and ensure a smooth transition to the Bhutan Baccalaureate. The collaborative effort of the facilitators and DEOs have resulted in a Roadmap that covers areas such as curriculum development, teacher training, parent involvement, infrastructure improvements, and monitoring and evaluation. Each Roadmap will act as a guiding document for the centres, facilitating their growth and learning journey.

The programme for Bhutan Baccalaureate Teacher Graduates was organised in Pangbisa by Druk Gyalpo’s Institute and the Ministry of Education and Skills Development from 5th to 7th July 2023. 56 teachers from 23 Bhutan Baccalaureate schools, who completed the Bhutan Baccalaureate Diploma Programme participated in this programme. The programme created space for the graduates to share their personal experiences and the schools’ journey in transitioning the Bhutan Baccalaureate. The experiences were used to review and update the Transition Programme from August to December 2023.

The experiences shared during the programme added to the success and challenges towards achieving the indicators of success of the Transition Roadmap. At the same time, the graduates learnt about the evolution of the Bhutan Baccalaureate since they completed their diploma programme in January 2022.

The Summer Programme was offered at the Druk Gyalpo’s Institute in Pangbisa from 9- 17 July 2023. Specifically targeting students in grades 9-12, the Summer Programme saw a total of 61 participants: 2-3 from each of the 19 Bhutan Baccalaureate schools catering to grades 9-12 and 5 students from 3 schools in India.

Through reflections, meaningful discussions, and hands-on activities, the programme achieved its primary objectives of fostering a collaborative learning environment and promoting mutual understanding among participants on ‘The Role of Education and Learning and Making a Person of Substance’. Participants gained valuable insights into the purpose of education and its broader impact on individuals, communities, and society. The programme helped enrich their understanding of the Bhutan Baccalaureate Learning Process and its underpinning philosophy, equipping them with knowledge and experiences that they can share with peers and adults in their respective schools.