Social Science Education in Indian Schools.

Social Science is a category of academic disciplines that include the sturdy of History, geography, economics. political science and sociology. When compared with other disciplines such as languages and mathematics, etc., it is one of the young disciplines taught in formal education system. This makes the social science an evolutionary discipline and continues to get its share of controversies. Social science produces new concepts and methods of investigation continuously making it a vibrant one. According to Max Weber, as analytical tools, social science concepts help to understand the 'meaning of and causal relations between elements of social and cultural life' (Root, 1994, p.47). In school systems, children are expected to understand basic social science concepts. This helps them, later as citizens and as members of the society. To comprehend socio-economic and political issues and events that shaped the world. Social science as a school discipline carries the responsibility to help children develop national identity.

This chapter is divided into five sections. The flrst section deais raiith the scope of the present review, an introduction to school social science curricuium in India and the difference between social science and social sturlies. Three aspects of social science education in India:

 (a) curricuiurn developrnent process; 

(b) understanding social science textbooks and

 (c) methods, materials and social science teachers have been discussed in the second section. 

The third section provides an account of assessment of social science learning. The fourth section gives a brief introduction to organisations working in India. to promote social science beyond the walis of classrooms. The summary of research studies and public discourse in social science education in India and hints at the gaps that are required to he researched in future are given in the last section.

The school social science curriculum for Classes I to X includes topics from history, economics, geography and political science. In Classes XI and XII; social sciences are introduced as elective subjects. In Classes I and II, social science concepts are included as part of language or mathematics courses; in Classes III to V they are introduced along with natural,science concepts as part of environmental studies. Sociaf science concepts are introduced from Class VI onwards as part of a separate course, Social Science. 

While NCERT and SCERTs and State Institutes of Education develop syllabi for Classes I to XII, examination boards adopt or adapt these syllabi for Classes IX to XII and conductexaqfnations.

Traditionally, topics from history and geography formed a major share of school social science syllabus in India. Over the last six decades, school-going children are increasingly introduced to India's polity and economy. In 1988, Indian Constitution was amended to reduce the age'for voting in Indian public elections from 2l to 18 years. This means, Indian citizens exercise democratic rights just after their schooling-just after the completion of 12 years of schooling.