How Can Schools Incorporate Core Values Into Their Curriculum?

By Dr. Bilal Ahmad Bhat
Thought Leader | Founder, BAB Group of Companies | Author, 28COE Core Values – Edition 1

The Foundation of Future Leaders

In a world that is rapidly evolving, where academic excellence alone no longer suffices, the role of core values in shaping the next generation has never been more crucial. Schools are the cradles of future leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, civil servants, and citizens. However, without instilling core values, we risk raising individuals with knowledge but lacking direction, integrity, empathy, and purpose.

As someone who leads many global chambers, startups, and organizations across continents, I, Dr. Bilal Ahmad Bhat, have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of core values. I authored 28COE Core Values – Edition 1 not just to create another business book, but to lay down a universal moral and ethical framework for individuals and institutions.

In a personal survey I conducted across 100 schools in Kashmir, I found that 90 schools do not have any defined core values, and the remaining 10 struggle to effectively communicate or implement them. This is an alarming trend. Our children deserve more than just textbooks and tests—they deserve values that anchor them throughout life.

What Are Core Values in the Educational Context?

Core values in schools refer to the guiding principles and beliefs that inform students’ behaviors, decisions, and character. These may include:

• Integrity – telling the truth, even when it’s hard
• Respect – honoring self and others
• Responsibility – being accountable for one’s actions
• Empathy – understanding and sharing others’ feelings
• Excellence – striving to be the best in all pursuits
• Courage – doing the right thing despite fear

These values shape not only academic performance but character development, emotional intelligence, and ethical decision-making.

Why Core Values Must Be Embedded in Schools

1. Builds Ethical Foundations: Values like honesty, compassion, and integrity become internalized, helping students distinguish right from wrong.
2. Enhances Emotional Intelligence: Students learn how to navigate conflict, build meaningful relationships, and understand diverse perspectives.
3. Improves Academic Focus: A student who values discipline and hard work will perform better academically.
4. Prepares Responsible Citizens: Values instilled early manifest later as social responsibility, civic engagement, and global leadership.
5. Fosters a Culture of Respect and Inclusion: This directly combats bullying, discrimination, and other forms of toxic behavior.

How Schools Can Incorporate Core Values into the Curriculum

1. Define the School’s Core Values Clearly

Schools must collaborate with educators, parents, students, and community leaders to define 5–10 key values. These values should align with the school’s mission and reflect local cultural and ethical expectations.

2. Infuse Values in Daily Activities

Instead of treating values as separate lectures, embed them in every subject:

• Literature can explore themes of honesty and justice.
• History can highlight leaders who embodied courage and integrity.
• Science can promote ethical experimentation and curiosity.
• Sports can nurture discipline, teamwork, and perseverance.

3. Create Value-Based Projects and Assignments

Assign students projects that require them to demonstrate values. For example:

• Organizing a cleanliness drive (responsibility)
• Helping junior students with homework (empathy)
• Writing essays on historical figures who practiced integrity

4. Start Each Day with a Values Assembly

Use morning assemblies to share stories, quotes, or real-life examples that emphasize a particular value. Invite guests from different fields to share how values guided their success.

5. Train Teachers to Model Core Values

Teachers must be living embodiments of the values they teach. Offer regular training and workshops that help educators internalize and practice these values consistently.

6. Create a Values Reward System

Recognize and reward students who consistently exhibit school values. Rewards could include:

• “Values Champion of the Month”
• Recognition in newsletters or assemblies
• Value-based badges or certificates

7. Collaborate with Parents and the Community

Involve parents in value-building through:

• Family value-building workshops
• Parent-student value activity days
• Community outreach programs that allow families to work together for a social cause

8. Measure and Reflect

Every school should audit its progress. Use surveys, reflections, and teacher reports to see how well values are being understood and lived by students. Adjust the curriculum accordingly.

A Call to Action for Schools—Especially in Regions Like Kashmir

If we truly want to build a generation of global citizens, we must start at the root—with value-based education. In my findings across Kashmir’s 100 schools, the absence of structured core values is a missed opportunity for building emotionally and ethically strong youth.

Whether you are a principal in Srinagar, a teacher in Baramulla, or a policymaker in Jammu, the time to act is now. Introduce values. Teach them. Practice them. Monitor them.

Core values are not accessories—they are necessities.

Conclusion

In the face of global challenges—ranging from climate change and misinformation to rising mental health issues and ethical breakdowns—the role of value-based education becomes central. Schools are not just academic institutions; they are incubators of character.

By incorporating core values into the curriculum, schools don’t just prepare students to succeed in exams—they prepare them to succeed in life.

Let’s raise not just intelligent minds, but also kind hearts and strong spirits.

“It’s a basic foundation for each leader. It should be defined and practised firsthand.”
— Dr. Bilal Ahmad Bhat