2) The social, moral and national aim of teaching history Social: Study of history socializes the child.

He identifies himself with the struggles and sacrifices of the race. He develops a sympathetic understanding of human life in the past in the present. The history teacher enlightens the students about how people in the past have suppressed personal impulses in the interest of the society. The child learns form history how to adjust himself to the social life. Moral: History is taught by examples. Ramayana and the Mahabharat inculcate in the minds of the students a sense of morality. The study of the lives of saints, heroes and reformers makes the children courageous, truthful and just. Through the teaching of history, we can easily impress upon the pupils how they can develop moral values. We can create love of all that is noble by bringing the pupils in contact with the lives of great men also. National: To develop a feeling for the nation is an important aim of teaching history. We can foster patriotism among the pupils. They can know the glorious past of their motherland and can develop a love for the motherland. Here the role of the teacher is very important. He should encourage students to study history without bias or prejudice against other nations or races. Patriotism is not chauvinism. It works for the common welfare of man and citizenship of which nations may well be proud of, the patriotism which knows no frontiers. It has to develop national humility.

3) History provides a special kind of mental training History provides a special kind of mental training to the older children which they will find extremely useful when they grow up and have to solve the problems of everyday life. It is an irrefutable fact that a boy has to use his mind most in history. He is constantly drawing upon his memory to remember what he has been studying; on his imagination to visualize conditions and civilizations widely different form his own; and on his imaginative sympathy to enter into the motives, inclinations and desires of the principal protagonists on the stage. But, most important of all, he has to rely on his ability to collect, examine and correlate facts in an impartial manner and to express the result methodically in clear vivid language; on his ability to think and argue logically, free from bias or prejudice; and lastly on his judgment to estimate character.

4) History provides knowledge about the contribution of greatmen in history History narrates the contributions of greatmen in the past. Knowledge of such contribution develops an insight among the students. They develop the idea of national integration, international understanding, patriotism, moral values, social service, etc., under such circumstance, the child will have an opportunity of feeling that history can inspire and of realizing the countless ways in which the greatmen of his country have

served mankind and have thereby won the universal love, respect and admiration of posterity. 5) Teaching of history develop time-sense, space-sense and geographical situations History links the present with the past. It is time-sense which provides direct knowledge to the student about the causal relationship that exists among such historical events and experiences. Space-sense in history helps the students to link local with distant places. Thus, they know about their own country and countries outside. Knowledge about geographical situations provides knowledge about geographical location of historical happenings. 6) History helps to understand the present One of the important aims of teaching history is to understand the present in the light of the past. People learn history with a view to gain knowledge of all happenings from past to the present. Such happenings are causally connected among themselves. Without knowledge of the past, much of what we find around us would be meaningless. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 would be unintelligible unless one has a knowledge of the political, social and economic history of India in the 18th, 19th and the first four decades of the 20th centuries. Morley fairly clinches the matter when he says, It is the present which really interests us; it is the present we seek to understand and explain. I want to know what thought and did in

the 13th century, not out of dilettante or idle antiquarian but because the 13th century was the root of thought and action in the 19th century. But one has to go a step further. The great aim of history teaching, the lack of which constitutes the main defect in our current educational practice, is the cultivation of the forward look, encouraging the student to have a vision of the future and its fashioning. As Sir John Seeley says, I tell you that when you study not the part of England but her future. It is the welfare of your country; it is your whole interest as citizens that are in question when you study history; it is more vital that we should actively create the future than gain an exhaustive knowledge of the past. 7) History teaches tolerance Study of history helps the students to develop tolerance towards other religious, culture and social order. The child respects others ideas and ideas. 8) It create a scientific attitude History develops the power of judgement of our students and stimulates thought. It helps the adolescents to balance and control their emotions and their outlook. Thus, study of history creates a scientific attitude in our students. 9) It develops a sense of international understanding The necessary of establishing lasting peace among the nations of the world, was never felt more urgently before than it

is today. The previous global wars have made it quite clear to all the nations of the world that another war of a similar nature may wipe out the entire mankind from earth. Thus, internationalism is an idea of the twentieth century. Democracy believes that the will of the common man must be supreme in all matters. History testifies that the common man doesnt want war. He wants peace. Now peace is not confined to a single nation. It refers to peace at international levels, between man and man and between nation and nation. The school directs the emotional and intellectual development of children. Teaching of history, therefore, reorients the minds of the young students in the direction of peace and international understanding, through its curriculum and textbooks. In the curriculum, where emphasis is laid on international understanding, history should teach about the life of the people rather than about the battles and deeds of kings. The syllabus in history should include world history, which may enable the students to appreciate the nature of modern externalism. It can destroy the prejudices that still exist among the nations of the world. 10) The formation of habits and skills In the teaching of history, habits and skills constitute as an important part. Habit has been defined as, a relatively simple acquired tendency to act, usually described in terms of outward conduct. The teaching of history can contribute greatly to the development of the habit of independent study, habit of accuracy, speed and neatness, habit of using references and

textbooks intelligently and the habit of controlling the emotions under extreme provocation. 11) To develop interest in the study of history While learning a particular subject, development of interest is considered as one of the most important aims. Interest is a precondition and a sign of learning. Enjoyment necessarily induces learning. Development of interest in the subject is of great significance for the school students. They enjoy the past events and experiences by the study of history. Therefore, development of interest I the study of history should be accepted as one of the aims for learning history. Aims of teaching history at the primary stage Children at the primary stage of education possess a concrete mind. Therefore, they fall to comprehend the abstract ideas and to indulge in deep deductive reasoning. They are curious to learn new things around them and ask questions. They have also a strong story interests. When they listen to stories, they get an opportunity for identification and make- belief. Understanding this nature of the child, formal education should try to lay the foundations of a serious study of history in him in future. Considering all these, the following are the aims of teaching history to the primary school children.
(i)

Steps must be taken to explain to the students the why of things in their environment. Thus, they can learn the past events. Children like to know

about the festivals of their locality. Knowledge of history helps them to know about the historical origin of such festivals. (ii) Children at the primary stage of education are interested in stories of historical significance are narrated in the classroom; children will be interested to learn history. Such stories should be presented to them with sincerity, vividness, and in clear simple language so that the characters whose acquaintance he is making are real to him and may live for him again. Teaching of history broadens the outlook of the primary school children. When learn the events of world history, they easily understand the relationship between different countries of the world. Thus, they develop an international outlook. When the teachers teach history through storytelling method, the children develop interest in the study of history. Instead of learning history form the examination point-of-view, they learn this subject with natural interest.

(iii)

(iv)

Aim of teaching history at the secondary stage of education in terms of pupil behaviour The aims of teaching history at the secondary stage of education will bear more fruit if we can spell them out in terms

of pupil bahaviour, expected to develop as a result of the study. In the terms of pupil behaviour, the aims of teaching history during this stage should be as follows: i. The pupils should know the most significant happenings in the past which are causally related to the happenings in the national and state life. ii. The pupils should also be able to determine the cause and effect relationship between them. iii. The pupils should of great also be able to make critical estimates of the contributions of great personalities of the past and in the present in terms of their influence over subsequent happiness in national and state history in specific fields. iv.