Values and citizenship education in Bhutan: a GNH-based content analysis of early primary school workbooks

Values education has long been central to Bhutan’s education system. However, there is limited research examining how values are represented in teaching materials in early primary education. This study employed qualitative content analysis to examine the Values and Citizenship Education (VCE) workbooks for early primary classes (Pre-Primary to class III) in Bhutan. Narratives, activities, illustrations and reflection exercises were coded deductively in NVivo using the nine domains of Gross National Happiness (GNH) as the analytical framework. Findings reveal a strong emphasis on Psychological Wellbeing and Good Governance domains, while Culture and Living Standards are the least represented domains. The analysis also found that the workbooks use many foreign stories to teach various values, offering limited connection to Bhutanese cultural heritage. On the basis of these findings, the study recommends strengthening culturally grounded content, introducing age-appropriate concepts from the Living Standards domain, and incorporating Global Citizenship Education (GCE) concepts to promote early awareness of global citizenship and cultural competence for a more balanced and holistic approach to values education – one that is culturally rooted and globally relevant, in alignment with the holistic GNH philosophy.