INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL SCIENCE

(Idea behind teaching Social Science in MES)

Social science includes a wide range of content of diverse discipline of society such as History, Political science, Geography, Economics, Sociology and Anthropology.

Study of history not only enables one to take rational decisions for future and present by analyzing the past event with their cause and effect relationship but also helps to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the readers. Political Science or Civic leads to make the students socially and politically aware and enable them to take rational decision in every steps of life when there is a question of accept or reject. Studying geography particularly meant for exploration and exploitation of natural resources in a sustainable manner. Economics is a subject that addresses the problem of “limited resources and unlimited wants”. It helps the learners in optimum utilization of present and future resources based on cost benefit analysis.

However, it must be noted that in the secondary level teaching, more emphasis is given in developing skills of the students to learn these subjects rather than teaching the core contents of the subjects.

By nature, it is a vast subject and cannot be learnt simply by reading a book or by attending some classes. However, to organize the process a curriculum has been fixed by taking the Curriculum prescribed by the National Council for Research and Training (NCERT) as a model. Some of the contents are adjusted considering the need and sentiments of the locality. For example we incorporated Assam history in the place of history of some South Indian Kingdoms. Some Internationally popular curriculum particularly UK and USA were also consulted in fixing the contents.

Dynamics and Philosophy of Social Science: (as a subject)

Being a part of social creature all human are mutually dependent on each other in one way or by the other. Therefore, nourishing a child to understand, adjust and react to different social stimulus in their life is of utmost important. Social Science as a subject carries a wide range of responsibilities right from developing the students concern for health and hygiene, realizing the need for optimum utilization and conservation of resources, sensitizing and demonstrating the right culture, shaping their behavior and attitude towards different groups the students may interacts , respect to the opposite sex etc.

Social studies or science is the study of political, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of societies in the past, present, and future. The study of social science equip the students with the knowledge and understanding of the past necessary for coping with the present and planning for the future, enable them to understand and participate effectively in their world, and explain their relationship to other people and to social, economic, and political institutions. Social science can provide students with the skills for productive problem solving and decision making, as well as for assessing issues and making thoughtful value judgments.

The youngsters today often faced criticisms like diminishing etiquette, honesty, mutual respect, loyalty, and other ethical values. The social science as a subject taught in the school level carry a normative responsibility of creating humanity by imparting a set of human values such as apathy, respect, trust, perseverance, dignity, honesty, equality, polity, patriotism, love for land and nature, respect and care to social and ecological diversity, etc. In this era of globalization the significance of social science education is also increasing to equip the future generation to with information and adjustability with diverse socio-economic and climatic conditions around the globe.

Today, in this competitive world our tiny children seeds to groom up to face variety of competitive examination to get sit in a desired educational institution or to get entry in to a job. The skills and knowledge acquired by the students from the subject are more or less common as these are always tested as general aptitude of a candidate almost in all entrance and competitive examination.