UNIT- II DISCIPLINES AND SUBJECTS IN SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

 

UNIT- II DISCIPLINES AND SUBJECTS IN SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Emergence and development of knowledge, subject and curriculum in social, political and intellectual contexts - Changes in social science, natural science and linguistics – Concept of knowledge-firm, objective and impersonal-diverse, dialogical, subjective, fluid and porous frame - School subjects and social justice

 

Emergence and development of Knowledge, Subject and Curriculum in Social, Political and Intellectual Contexts

Introduction

Education is the process of instruction aimed at the all-round development of individuals, providing the necessary tools and knowledge to understand and participate in day to day activities of today’s world. It is the only wealth which cannot be robbed. It builds character, provides strength of mind and increases knowledge

According to Nelson “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”  

Knowledge

According to Plato, justified true belief is Knowledge. Knowledge is a mix of framed experience, values, contextual information and expert insight.

Knowledge, according to Swami Vivekananda is to find out unity in the midst of diversity – to establish unity among things which appear to be different from another.

Means of Acquiring Knowledge

We acquired knowledge in the following ways:

1. Knowledge through Sense of Experience

2. Knowledge through Intuition

3. Knowledge through Reasoning and Rationalization

4. Knowledge through Empirical Approach

5. Knowledge through Inspirational Approach

6. Knowledge through Authoritarian

7. Knowledge through Social Awareness

8. Knowledge through Action

9. Knowledge through Training.

Development of knowledge

It is now known that babies are beginning to learn even before they are born. During the last 10 years, there has been an explosion in our knowledge of the ways in which humans develop and learn. There is increasing international recognition that science- and technology-intensive solutions can significantly improve quality of life.                                                              

School Subject

 A school subject is an area of learning within the school curriculum that constitutes an institutionally defined field of knowledge and practice for teaching and learning.  Constructing a school subject is in accordance with respect to both the societal expectations and the activities of teaching.

School subjects are human constructions in response to social, economic, cultural, political, and educational realities and needs. They are “uniquely purpose built educational enterprises, designed with and through educational imagination towards educative ends” (Deng & Luke)

Curriculum

All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school is called curriculum.

Curriculum development

Curriculum development is defined as planned, purposeful, progressive, and systematic process in order to create positive improvements in the educational system. Every time there are changes or developments happening around the world, the school curricula are affected. There is a need to update them in order to address the society’s needs.

Curriculum development has a broad scope because it is not only about the school, the learners and the teachers. It is also about the development of a society in general.

Emergence and development of knowledge, subject and curriculum in social contexts

In today’s knowledge, subject and curriculum development plays a vital role in improving the social, political, intellectual and economy of a country. It also provides answers or solutions to the world’s pressing conditions and problems, such as environment, politics, socio-economics, and other issues on poverty, climate change and sustainable development.

One of the most powerful means of propagating and sustaining new developments is the education system in a society. Education transmits society's collective knowledge from one generation to the next. It equips each new generation to face future opportunities and challenges with knowledge gathered from the past. It shows the young generation the opportunities ahead for them, and thereby raises their aspiration to achieve more.

Knowledge, subject and curriculum imparted by education raises the level of expectations of youth, as well as aspirations for higher income. It also equips youth with the mental capacity to devise ways and means to improve productivity and enhance living standards.

Social development involves learning the values, knowledge and skills that enable children to relate to others effectively and to contribute in positive ways to family, school and the community. This kind of learning is passed on to children directly by those who care for and teach them, as well as indirectly through social relationships within the family or with friends, and through children’s participation in the culture around them. Through their relationships with others and their growing awareness of social values and expectations, children build a sense of who they are and of the social roles available to them.

Some development of knowledge, subject and curriculum in social contexts are as follows

·         Children develop the ability to respect the rights of others and to feel empathy for them.

·         They learn to work cooperatively with others and to resolve conflicts in peaceful ways.

·         encourage cooperative behaviour

·         Interacting with others in positive ways is to success in life.

Roll of knowledge, subject and curriculum for social context are as follows:

·         Knowledge, subject and curriculum fulfill the needs of society.

·         It initiate social changes and agent of change and social development

·         To assume leadership roles

·         Build a new social order

·         Develop world citizenship

·         Make positive contribution to the progress of society.

·         Formation of Knowledge society

Development of knowledge, subject and curriculum in political contexts

India is the largest democracy in the world. India has the biggest number of people with franchise rights and the largest number of political parties, which take part in election campaign. Politics in India take place within the framework of its constitution, as India is a federal parliamentary democratic republic, in which the President of India is the head of the country and the Prime Minister of India is the head of the government. The knowledge, subject and curriculum in political contexts helped for the following developments:

·         Believe in Democracy and Training in Democratic Citizenship

·         for national integration and international Understanding

·         National Development through industrialization increasing division of labor,   use of management techniques improved technology and expansion of service sector.

·         Treating Every Individual with Dignity and Respect

·         Freedom, Equality, Fraternity and Tolerance

·         Faith in Bringing Changes through Peaceful Means

·         Faith in Hard work and Belief in Group Work

·         Free and quality education and Common school

·         Utilisation of National for all

·         Vocational education in all levels

Roll of the Government in the Development of knowledge, subject and curriculum

• Universal primary education
• National literacy mission
• Priority to oppressed and backward
• Special attention for girls education
• Give boost to joyful learning, Activity based learning and vocationalisation.
• Liberal grant of scholarship and educational loan.
• Aiming for excellence in education

Ways to Develop knowledge, subject and curriculum in intellectual contexts

• Give children choices.
• Allow and encourage creativity (through art, music and movement, dictation, retelling stories and creating new ones).
• Build language skills
• Provide science experiments and introduce concepts about our world to help them make sense of it.

·         Make them to learn about the neighbourhood and the city through walks and field trips

Significant of development of knowledge, subject and curriculum in intellectual contexts

·         Development of problem solving skills.

·         Widen Critical thinking

·         Increase  rational thinking

·         Increase awareness

·         Expand Logical assessment

·         build Sound mind in a sound body

 

Changes in social science, natural science and linguistics

 

Social Science

Social science is a major category of academic disciplines, concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within a society.

Branches in Social Science

History, Geography, Sociology, Law, Demography are Social Science and anthropology are the branches in social science.

History and Changes in Social Science

Social science begins in the Age of Enlightenment after 1650.  Social sciences came forth from the Age of Revolutions, such as the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution. In 18^th century it was reflected by Rousseau. In19^th century, the academic social sciences were constituted the following five fields:  law, education, health, economy and trade, and art.

20^th century, The development of social science became very quantitative in methodology. The interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary nature of scientific inquiry into human behaviour

In 21^st century History, Geography, Sociology, Law, Demography are Social Science and anthropology. They foster social justice, equality and empathy and help to think critically and decide judiciously. It builds committed citizens

Current Situation in Social Science

•         It focused on contemporary matters

•         It gave more important to Social awareness

•         It paying attention to ethical concern

•         It gives more important to Peace building

•         It concerns the sustainable development

•         Computer Assisted language learning was encouraged

 

Natural Science

Natural science is a branch of Science, concerned with natural phenomena. Natural Science is the systematic study of the universe around us.

People observed and built up knowledge about the behaviour of animals and the usefulness of plants as food and medicine, which was passed down from generation to generation.

An interest in astronomy, mathematics and other aspects of the physical world, the ultimate aim of inquiry about nature's workings was in all cases religious or mythological, not scientific.

Branches of natural science

Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology are the Branches of natural science

Changes in Natural Science

Natural Science also covered plants, animals and celestial bodies natural science as a means of interpreting scripture, this suspicion persisted until the 12^th and 13^th centuries.

Invention of the printing press in the 15th century and invention of the microscope and telescope, and the Protestant Reformation fundamentally altered the social context in which scientific inquiry evolved in the West. Christopher Columbus's discovery of a new world changed perceptions about the physical makeup of the world

Scientific societies and scientific journals emerged and were spread widely through the printing press, touching off the scientific revolution. Scientific revolution blossomed in the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries.

20^th century   focused on mechanics, Electronics and Mechanics.  Today, in 21^st century natural sciences are more commonly divided into life sciences, such as botany and zoology; and physical sciences, which include physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy and materials science.

Current Situation

Following are the Current Situation in Natural studies:

 

•         Natural studies give important to environment

•         It focus on Preservation industry

•         Its center of attention on Water management

•         It focus on awareness of Eco system

•         The emerging trend is Occupational biology

•         Computer Assisted language learning was encouraged

Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of language

Branches

The following are the Branches of linguistics

•         Phonetics - the study of speech sounds in their physical aspects

•         Phonology - the study of speech sounds in their cognitive aspects

•         Morphology - the study of the formation of words

•         Syntax - the study of the formation of sentences

•         Semantics - the study of meaning

•         Pragmatics - the study of language use

Linguistic in India

Linguistic before Independence

India’s linguistic, cultural, ethnic, religious diversity is very strong and wide spread. Heterogeneity and multilingualism is not a recent product. It goes back to the time when Aryans came to India with Sanskrit and thereafter many came, invaded and settled in India and with them was their languages. Since that time India is managing its diversity and multilingualism very beautifully and ardently.

Different languages were assigned different roles in different domains but there was no conflicting situation. Even at the time of British rule, the British promoted the Indian vernaculars as well as English too. Macaulay wants to spread English in India and done it

Linguistic after Independence

Since independence, English language continued to be taught in Indian schools, though in limited schools and colleges initially. With passage of time the use of English increased resulting in a shift of its status. English became the language of industrialization and modernization, and now it is the language of globalization.

English became the primary requirement for Inter connectedness of people, for free exchange of ideas, cultures and economies and a ‘Lingua Franca’ for communication, business and education.

 The following are some changes in Changes in linguistics in India

• Old Indo-Aryan have Vedic Sanskrit language
• Middle Indo-Aryan focused on Prakrits-vernacular language
• Pali - Buddhist scriptures
• Dravidian languages include approximately 73 languages
•  Pallava dynasty onwards, a number of Sanskrit ,Tamil, particularly in relation to political, religious and philosophical concepts
•  Saivism and Vaishnavism, works ane in Tamil
• The Nannul remains the standard normative grammar for modern literary Tamil.

·         In 1823 English education was introduced in India.

·         1835 English was formally introduced as a medium of instruction.

·         1857 Universities were established in Madras, Bombay and Calcutta.

·         1947 Free India chose to retain English as long as it was needed.

• Dravidian parties and nationalists who supported Tamil independence
• 20th century - Universal Grammar, 

·         The University Education Commission headed by S. Radhakrishnan in 1950-51 reported: “...the English language has been one of the potent factors in the development of unity in the country

·         952-53 The Madras English Language Teaching (MELT) campaign was launched.

·         1954 English Language Teaching Institutes (ELTI’s) were set up. The first centre was at Allahabad.

·         New education policy guarantees status of English

Current Situation

•         Important to Listening, speaking, reading and writing

•         Functional grammar

•         Translation to bilingual

•         Communicative language

•         Computer Assisted language learning was encouraged

 

Concepts of knowledge- firm, objective and impersonal   - diverse, dialogical, subjective, fluid and porous frame

Introduction

Concept is something conceived in the mind or stimuli that have certain features in common.

Knowledge is an awareness or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions or skills, which are acquired through experience or education

Concepts of knowledge

Some concepts of knowledge are as follows:

·         Firm knowledge,  epWtd mwpT

·         Objective knowledge  FwpNfhs; mwpT

·         Impersonal knowledge  jdp kdpj mwpT

·         Diverse knowledge, gd;Kf mwpT

·         Dialogical knowledge, ciuahly; %yk; ngWk; mwpT

·         Subjective knowledge mfepiy mwpT

·         Fluid knowledge nefpo;Tjd;ikahd mwpT

·         Porous frame knowledge  Ez;zpa rl;l  mwpT

Firm knowledge

Firms are considered as bundles of mixed resources that include visible and invisible assets, operational processes, and products.  Among these, knowledge is often considered a firm’s most important resource

Objective knowledge 

Objective knowledge is obtained indirectly, mainly via books. It is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.

Example: Science Subject, Mathematics Subject

 

Subjective knowledge

Subjective knowledge is the result of personal experience and feelings. Subjective experience reaches us via sensation.

Example: Religion

Impersonal knowledge 

Fact gained directly through firsthand experience or observation. True knowledge is deemed impersonal, universally established, objective. Impersonal knowledge which, being unable to recognize any persons, presents us with a picture of the universe in which we ourselves are absent.

Impersonal knowledge has no interest in individual people or their feelings, lacking emotional warmth and not influenced by personal feelings

Example: Mathamatics, Science are impersonal knowledge

Diverse knowledge

Knowledge of different discipline

Example: Knowledge of Tamil, English Maths, Science and Social Science

Dialogic Knowledge

Dialogic Knowledge is learning that takes place through dialogue. It is typically the result of free dialogue.  

A ‘dialogic approach’ to investigating classroom interaction helps us understand how teachers and students co-construct knowledge. The scheme can serve as a useful research tool to ground empirically the concept of ‘dialogic interaction’ in educational contexts.

Significante of Dialogic Knowledge:

• Harnesses the power of talk to stimulate and extend children’s understanding, thinking and learning.
• Promotes inquiry and joint construction of knowledge: it builds on, elaborates and synthesises others’ ideas.
• Engages in ‘social modes of thinking’ where reasoning can be made visible to others.
• Promotes equitable participation and sees all, including teachers, as co-learners.
• Is open, critical and constructive: it explores, compares negotiates, and challenges different perspectives.

• Involves teachers in open-ended questioning, feeding in ideas, reflecting, comparing and interpreting ideas.
• Encourages learners to: articulate and justify their own points of view; appreciate and respond to others’ ideas; take extended turns.

Fluid knowledge: 

Fluid knowledge refers to mental processes rather than specific information (declines with age). It is the ability to think on the spot and solve novel problems. It is the ability to perceive relationships and to gain new types of knowledge. Children who do well on one test of fluid intelligence usually do well on other tests of fluid intelligence

Example

·         The ability to assemble novel puzzles

·         The ability to determine the next entry in a series of numbers

·         The ability to identify which one of four objects is related to the others

Porous frame knowledge 

Frames were proposed by Marvin Minskey in his 1974 article "A Framework for Representing Knowledge." Frames are the primary data structure used in artificial intelligence 

Frames are also an extensive part of knowledge representation and reasoning scheme. Frames were originally derived from semantic networks and are therefore part of structure based knowledge representations.

 

Redefinition`s of school subject from socio-cultural perspectives

Education is importance for economic and social development, that is, for developing knowledge-based society. The School subjects reflect the social, cultural and economic activity of society.  Education in future implies a reconstruction in the education system. This practically means implementation of reform of the entire educational system and development of conception of the permanent education accorded with social needs and changes.

 

The subjects taught in schools enable students,

• To understand the society in which they live - to learn how society is structured, managed, and governed, and also about the forces seeking to transform and redirect society in various ways.

• to appreciate the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution such as justice, liberty, equality and fraternity and the unity and integrity of the nation and the building of a socialist, secular and democratic society.

• To grow up as active, responsible, and reflective members of society.

• To learn to respect differences of opinion, lifestyle, and cultural practices.

• To undertake activities that will help them develop social and life skills and make them understand that these skills are important for social interaction. In textbooks and in the classroom, the content, language, and images should be comprehensible, gender sensitive, and critical of social hierarchies and inequalities of all kinds.

Primary Stage: Classes I and II

For these primary grades, Socio-cultural perspectives will be explained as integral parts of languages, Social Science. Children should be engaged in activities to understand the natural and social environments 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 example, storytelling, painting, dance, song, and music can all be part of the teaching-learning process. A Teachers’ Handbook should be prepared with examples of activities that promote the development of concepts and teach sensitivity towards Socio-cultural concerns.

 

Classes III to V

For these grades, the subject Environment Studies (EVS) will be introduced and will be constituted by a discussion of the Socio-cultural perspectives. . In the study of the natural environment, emphasis will be on its preservation and the importance of saving it from degradation. Children will begin to be sensitized to social issues like poverty, child labour, illiteracy, and 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 this stage, all concepts taught should be activity-based. Activities should be related to examples from local surroundings. A Teachers’ Handbook should be prepared that gives clear directions on how to handle different topics.

Upper Primary Stage

At this stage, the subject areas of the social sciences may be introduced simultaneously to contemporary issues and problems. Emphasis needs to be given to issues like poverty, illiteracy, child and bonded labour, class, caste, gender, and environment. Geography and Economics may together help in developing a proper perspective related to issues concerning environment, resources and development at different levels, from local to global. Similarly, History will be taught emphasising the concepts of plurality. The child will be introduced to the formation and functioning of governments at the local, state, and central levels, and the democratic processes of participation.

Secondary Stage

At the secondary stage, the social sciences reflect the judicial structure in the country. Responses varied from teacher to teacher, but the dominant effect was one of undermining the modern system of justice in favour of caste-based panchayats. In History, the contributions of various sections/ regions to India’s freedom struggle can be studied, as well as other aspects of recent history, in the context of developments in the modern world. Aspects of Geography should be taught keeping in mind the need to inculcate in the child a critical appreciation for conservation and environmental concerns. In Political Science, the focus should be on discussing the philosophical foundations that underlie the value framework of the Indian Constitution, i.e. an in-depth discussion of equality, liberty, justice, fraternity, dignity, plurality, and freedom from exploitation. As the discipline of Economics is being introduced to the child at this level, and it is important that the topics discussed should be from the perspective of the masses.

Example: The discussion of poverty and unemployment should no longer be undertaken in terms of statistics, but instead should derive from an understanding of the elitist functioning of many economic institutions and the inequality sustained by economic relations.

Higher Secondary Stage

The higher secondary stage is considered important as it offers a choice of streams to the students according to their need, interest, and aptitude. They may choose either specialized academic courses or job-oriented vocational courses depending upon their preferences.

At this stage, the social sciences will include the disciplines of political science, geography, history, economics, sociology, and psychology. Commerce may include business studies and accountancy.

The objectives of the social science courses at this stage may be: Local Crafts and Museums and there is a need for innovations in teaching methods. Social science learning should involve visits to museums at local, state, and national levels. Students may be asked to explore the local surroundings and observe the activities of artisan communities engaged in different crafts using local skills and materials. These handicrafts may be displayed in a small corner of the school and developed into a museum. The schools could have their own social science museums.

To encourage them to explore higher levels of knowledge in different disciplines, to promote problem-solving abilities and creative thinking in the citizens of tomorrow, to introduce students to different ways of collecting and processing data and information in specific disciplines, and help them arrive at conclusions, and to generate new insights and knowledge in the process.

School subjects and social justice

School subjects

School subjects have connection with social structure; social relations and they have contributed in the process of cultural transmission too. Now it is being recognized that school subjects are important sources for studying about the society and problems in it.

The central purpose of schooling is to meet the current and future manpower needs of a society by training youth to become contributing members of society.  Schooling is primarily an instrument for solving social problems (inequalities, injustice, poverty, etc.) and cause social reform and reconstruction.

Social justice

Social justice is the concept of fair and just relation between the individual and society. This is measured by the explicit and tacit terms for the distribution of wealth, opportunities for personal activity and social privilege.

Social justice means ensuring equality in all aspects which affect people in the community, society, nation and the around the globe. Social justice is a concept which fights for the right of every individual for the opportunities available in the society, no matter the class, age, gender, race or ethnic origin. Social justice in modern day education is aligned to the dominate ideology of democratic liberalism. This is about the examination of the hyper individualism emergence which results into the dominance of the educational system and social justice.

Definition

Social justice is defined as "... promoting a just society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity."

Meaning

Social justice is is a complex issue. It is based on the premise that all people are entitled to the same basic rights and freedoms as everybody else.  Social justice is connected with issues of equality and equity.

It refers to an ideal of society, where "justice" refers to economic status rather than to the administration of laws. It is based on the idea of a society which gives individuals and groups fair treatment and a just share of the benefits of society

It is giving people their due, what they deserve.

Main focus of Social justice

·         It is equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs

·         Equality: efforts to treat everyone in a similar way.

·         Equity: attempts to ascertain that treatment is just and fair.

·         Equity refers to how fair the system is to persons who pass through it.

Social justice in Tamil subject

Tamil is the mother tongue of Tamil people of Tamil Nadu and is the oldest language in the world which is still used by its native speakers in their day to day life. It was announced as Classical Language (Semmozhi) by the government of India. Generally the Tamil Subject was divided into Poetry, Prose, Grammar and supplementary reader.

The Tamil Poetry constitute the Sangam poetry like the Thirukurral, Thrikadugam, Tholkappiyam -The oldest and first grammer book, Nannool and the recent poetry of Bharathiyar, Barathithasan are states the social justice, human harmony, human welfare , honesty, self control and  truthfulness.

The Tamil Prose in the school contains Biography, Auto biography, moral stories, Citizenship requirements, general welfare, best leadership qualities and skills.

The supplementary reader of Tamil Subject maximum contains life oriented small stories that induce the students to know the value of life, significance of knowledge, importance of self control and self confidence. The grammar part developed the language skill and less promote the social justice

Like that the Tamil language promote Social justice through its Poem, Prose and supplementary reader.

Social justice in English Subject

Like the Tamil language, the English language also promotes social justice as well as the knowledge.

The English Poetry constitute the human rights and duties, time management and perseverance.

The English Prose in the school contains leadership quality, diligence view, team work, hard work and skills.

The supplementary reader of English Subject maximum contains life oriented small stories that induce the students to know the value of life, significance of knowledge, importance of self control and self confidence. The grammar part developed the language skill and less promotes the social justice.

Like the English subject also divided like the Tamil language and promote Social justice through its Poem, Prose and supplementary lesson.

Social justice in Mathematics subject

Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space and change. Mathematics is essential in many fields, including natural science engineering, medicine, finance and social sciences.

We could use math to defend our rights and realize the injustices around us. With Mathematics we can try to make the world a better place

The Mathematics subject not only teaches the calculation but also the Social justice. The following are the lessons of social justice through Mathematics subject:

Numerical Mathematics a part of the Mathematics subject teaches the time management and accurate values.

We learnt team work and helping tendency from Algebra.  Mensuration teaches us our duties and the value of team work.

The geometry teaches the time management and perseverance. Life Mathematics touches the hard work and self control

Thus the Mathematic subject supported Social justice through its Numerical Mathematics, Algebra, Mensuration Life Mathematics and geometry.

Social justice in science subject

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Contemporary science is typically subdivided into Botany, Zoology, Chemistry and Physics.

The Science subject not only focuses on the scientific research and discovery but also focused the idea of social justice. Research in the field of science education has shown that science learning is related to the social, economic, and cultural status of children. The following are the concept of Social justice in the Science subject:

Importance of preservation and saving the natural environment from degradation is focused in the Botany subject. The social environment is constructed by human beings will be emphasized

Zoology subject is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. It emphasise on eco justice.

Science is for the benefit of the society. Chemistry is a creative science that is practiced in both fundamental and applied arenas in a sustainable and ethical manner for the benefit of society. chemistry as a discipline that encourages positive, inclusive dialogue for developing solutions to global issues, and move the chemist from the laboratory toward the front lines of justice as a means of participating in a greater, social endeavor.

Physics is the natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion and behavior through space and time, along with related concepts such as energy and force. One of the most fundamental scientific disciplines, the main goal of physics is to understand how the universe behaves. Though physics deals with a wide variety of systems, certain theories are used by all physicists. Each of these theories were experimentally tested numerous times and found to be an adequate approximation of nature.

Social justice in Social Science

Social sciences will include the disciplines of political science, geography, history, economics, sociology, and psychology. Commerce may include business studies and accountancy. Social sciences subject make an aware of the social issues like poverty, child labour, illiteracy, and caste and class inequalities, in rural and urban areas.

History, the contributions of various sections/ regions to India’s freedom struggle can be studied, as well as other aspects of recent history, in the context of developments in the modern world.

Aspects of Geography should be taught keeping in mind the need to inculcate in the child a critical appreciation for conservation and environmental concerns.

In Political Science, the focus should be on discussing the philosophical foundations that underlie the value framework of the Indian Constitution, i.e. an in-depth discussion of equality, liberty, justice, fraternity, dignity, plurality, and freedom from exploitation.

As the discipline of Economics is being introduced to the child at this level, and it is important that the topics discussed should be from the perspective of the masses. For example, the discussion of poverty and unemployment should no longer be undertaken in terms of statistics, but instead should derive from an understanding of the elitist functioning of many economic institutions and the inequality sustained by economic relations.

Civics is the study of the theoretical, political and practical aspects of citizenship, as well as its rights and duties, role of citizens, Civil law and civil code. It encourage ethical behavior and personal responsibility.

Sociology is the scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture. The traditional focuses of sociology include social stratification, social class,   religion, secularization, law, sexuality social mobility and deviance.

 Sociology offers a distinctive and enlightening way of seeing and understanding the social world in which we live and which shapes our lives.

Psychology is the science of behaviour and mind, embracing all aspects of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought. It emphasizes affective rather than cognitive outcomes. It focused on human values.

Thus the Social justice is sensitised and developed through the School subjects like Tamil, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science.