Planning the Curriculum:
For the primary grades, the natural and the social environment will be explained as integral parts of languages and mathematics. Children should be engaged in activities to understand the environment through illustrations from the physical, biological, social, and cultural spheres. The language used should be gender sensitive. Teaching methods should be in a participative and discussion-oriented mode.
For Classes III to V, the subject Environment Studies (EVS) will be introduced. In the study of the natural environment, emphasis will be on its preservation and the urgency of saving it from degradation. Children will also begin to be sensitised to social issues like poverty, child labour, illiteracy, caste and class inequalities in rural and urban areas. The content should reflect the day-to-day experiences of children and their life worlds.
At the upper primary stage, Social Studies will draw its content from History, geography, political science and economics. History will take into account developments in different parts of India, with sections on events or developments in other parts of the world. Geography can help develop a balanced perspective related to issues concerning the environment, resources and development at different levels, from local to global. In Political Science, students will be introduced to the formation and functioning of governments at local, state, and central levels and the democratic processes of participation. The economics component will enable students to observe economic institutions like the family, the market and the state. There will also be a section that will indicate a multidisciplinary approach to these themes.
At the secondary stage, the Social Sciences comprise History, geography, sociology, political science and economics. The focus will be on Contemporary India, and the learner will be initiated into a deeper understanding of the social and economic challenges facing the nation. In keeping with the epistemic shift proposed, these will be discussed from multiple perspectives, including those of the SC and ST and disenfranchised populations. Efforts should be made to relate the content as much as possible to the children's everyday lives. In History, India's freedom movement and other aspects of its modern History can be studied, as well as significant developments in other parts of the world. History should be taught with the intent of enabling students better understand their own world and their own identities came into being as shaped by a rich and varied past. History should now help them discover processes of change and continuity in their world, and to compare ways in which power and control were and are exercised. Geography should be taught keeping in mind the need to inculcate in the child a critical appreciation for conservation and environmental concerns along with developmental issues. In Political Science, the focus should be on discussing the philosophical foundations that underlie the value framework of the Indian Constitution, i.e. in-depth discussion of equality, liberty, justice, fraternity, secularism, dignity, plurality, and freedom from exploitation. As the discipline of Economics is being introduced to the child at this level, it is important that the topics should be discussed from the perspective of the people.
The higher secondary stage is important as it offers a choice of subjects to students. For some students, this stage may be the end of their formal education, leading to the world of work and employment; for others, the foundation for higher education. They may choose either specialised academic courses or job-oriented vocational courses. The foundation at this stage should equip them with basic knowledge and the necessary skills to make a meaningful contribution in the field they choose. A range of courses from the social sciences and commerce may be offered, and students may exercise their choice. Subjects need not be grouped into separate 'streams', and students should have the freedom to opt for subjects or courses according to their need, interest and aptitude. The social sciences will include disciplines like political science, geography, History, economics, sociology and psychology. Commerce may include business studies and accountancy
For the primary grades, the natural and the social environment will be explained as integral parts of languages and mathematics. Children should be engaged in activities to understand the environment through illustrations from the physical, biological, social, and cultural spheres. The language used should be gender sensitive. Teaching methods should be in a participative and discussion-oriented mode.
For Classes III to V, the subject Environment Studies (EVS) will be introduced. In the study of the natural environment, emphasis will be on its preservation and the urgency of saving it from degradation. Children will also begin to be sensitised to social issues like poverty, child labour, illiteracy, caste and class inequalities in rural and urban areas. The content should reflect the day-to-day experiences of children and their life worlds.
At the upper primary stage, Social Studies will draw its content from History, geography, political science and economics. History will take into account developments in different parts of India, with sections on events or developments in other parts of the world. Geography can help develop a balanced perspective related to issues concerning the environment, resources and development at different levels, from local to global. In Political Science, students will be introduced to the formation and functioning of governments at local, state, and central levels and the democratic processes of participation. The economics component will enable students to observe economic institutions like the family, the market and the state. There will also be a section that will indicate a multidisciplinary approach to these themes.
At the secondary stage, the Social Sciences comprise History, geography, sociology, political science and economics. The focus will be on Contemporary India, and the learner will be initiated into a deeper understanding of the social and economic challenges facing the nation. In keeping with the epistemic shift proposed, these will be discussed from multiple perspectives, including those of the SC and ST and disenfranchised populations. Efforts should be made to relate the content as much as possible to the children's everyday lives. In History, India's freedom movement and other aspects of its modern History can be studied, as well as significant developments in other parts of the world. History should be taught with the intent of enabling students better understand their own world and their own identities came into being as shaped by a rich and varied past. History should now help them discover processes of change and continuity in their world, and to compare ways in which power and control were and are exercised. Geography should be taught keeping in mind the need to inculcate in the child a critical appreciation for conservation and environmental concerns along with developmental issues. In Political Science, the focus should be on discussing the philosophical foundations that underlie the value framework of the Indian Constitution, i.e. in-depth discussion of equality, liberty, justice, fraternity, secularism, dignity, plurality, and freedom from exploitation. As the discipline of Economics is being introduced to the child at this level, it is important that the topics should be discussed from the perspective of the people.
The higher secondary stage is important as it offers a choice of subjects to students. For some students, this stage may be the end of their formal education, leading to the world of work and employment; for others, the foundation for higher education. They may choose either specialised academic courses or job-oriented vocational courses. The foundation at this stage should equip them with basic knowledge and the necessary skills to make a meaningful contribution in the field they choose. A range of courses from the social sciences and commerce may be offered, and students may exercise their choice. Subjects need not be grouped into separate 'streams', and students should have the freedom to opt for subjects or courses according to their need, interest and aptitude. The social sciences will include disciplines like political science, geography, History, economics, sociology and psychology. Commerce may include business studies and accountancy
