Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Teaching history

The article "National curriculum framework & the social sciences" (Sept. 5) was a pleasure to read. College lecturers too need more intensive exposure to social science concepts, changes in data and methods in history and critical enquiry. It is from colleges that conscientious citizens and prospective teachers emerge. The orientation of such an approach to history teaching is badly needed even in our teacher training institutions.

K. Lalitha,
Tumkur, Karnataka

I would like to make a suggestion regarding school curriculum. The study of the so-called social sciences should be discontinued altogether. The students will be spared jargons and soporific prose. Instead, the serious study of another Indian language can teach us more about the literary and cultural heritage of our country than history textbooks. This will connect the student to a living heritage flowing from the past and does not involve any ideological debate.

Debraj Chakrabarti,
Madison, Wisconsin

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Living with higher oil prices
Making history is hard work
America's shame: the aftermath of Katrina
The future of history in schools
FDI and land use
Contempt of court and the triple shield
India and EU have much in common
And still Bob Geldof remains silent
A testimony
Ban on naxalites
Futile exercise
Myths dispelled
A must read
Teaching history
Arab marriages

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu