Page 164 - DPS-Magazine-2020

Social Sciences, I wonder, how our books do contain answers to
it might have developed as a
specialized subject, that too in
a way that this knowledge can
be delivered to pupil in a school
setting. Looking at it closely,
we find it to be a compilation
of all different experiences in
time and space human race has
had in socio-politico-economic
and environmental settings
besides natural forces. It further
includes varied kinds of theories,
concepts, ideas, phenomenon
and all possible factors that
influence a human life, both in
individual sense and in collective
manner.
Such a unique subject and
intriguing at the same time!
Being in this field of study all
my life, I still don’t feel satisfied
of my knowledge, there is so
much to explore, things to
be understood in depth, all
possibilities of cause and effect
related to human life are to be
looked into, for it is not science
where there is just one term
used for the earth’s pull i.e.,
‘Gravitation’, neither is it Maths
where two plus two would
always be four.
With all these complexities,
delivering the true knowledge
of the subject if I may call it,
is equally challenging for any
Social Science teacher. For there
can be accurate answer for the
questions like- ‘What happened
then or when did it happen?’,
but for the questions asking,
‘Why did it happen or was it
right or wrong?’ there can’t be
one precise answer. Although
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giving rise to the possibilities
some of the questions but not
for all that our inquisitive pupil
put across and we as facilitators
of knowledge try to present
the most convincing answers
to them, only to ask ourselves
whether there could have been
other possible answers and
more accurate ones. A question
mark!
History as a sub-subject
embraces the concept that
a conflict of opposites is a
struggle between actual and
potential worlds as stated by the
famous philosopher Friedrich
Hegel. After all, there did exist
potential and parallel worlds in
time and space. The narrators,
writers or the historians of the
time were individuals like us
who were dictated by their
mind sets, value systems,
preferences and choices while
recording the events. They very
much could have been biased
when recording the events,
overlooking and ignoring certain
aspects of the events. Thus,
of alternative histories. Today’s
pupil sitting in the class has
a critical mind and doesn’t
hesitate refuting the version of
event or happening written in
the course books. Teacher, as
facilitator of the subject cannot
leave the things like a jigsaw
puzzle, neither would it be right,
justify on the grounds that it is
stated in the books designed
by the State. This would be like
suppressing the inquisitiveness
of the child, killing the spirit
of enquiry. Now the challenge
before her is to take the
conversation or discussion
to a near possible answer, an
acceptable one to which the
pupil agree willingly, and one
which is not forced upon them.
Believe me, this needs lot of
forbearance on the part of the
teacher and a determination as
well as a desire to quest for true
knowledge, a knowledge which
is beyond the black and white
words in the books, grading
systems and the promotion
policies of our education system.
2020 MOSAIÇ