Social Studies Curriculum Revised to Reduce SEE Failure Rate
The high failure rate in Social Studies in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) is set to decline.
The Curriculum Development Centre under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has decided to revise the Social Studies curriculum to better match students' interests and learning levels.
First-Time Reduction of Learning Outcomes and Competencies
The 96th meeting of the Curriculum Development and Evaluation Council, chaired by the Education Minister on Ashad 19, decided to reduce the number of competencies and learning outcomes across Grades 4 to 12.
This is the first time such a reform has been introduced in the Social Studies subject.
Revised Competency and Outcome Structure (Grade 4 to 8)
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Grade 4–5:
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Units remain at 7
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Competencies reduced from 10 to 7
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Learning outcomes reduced from 32 to 20 (Grade 4) and 22 (Grade 5)
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Grade 6–8:
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Units remain at 9
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Competencies reduced from 14 to 9
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Learning outcomes reduced to:
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Grade 6: 27
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Grade 7: 29
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Grade 8: 30
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Revised Structure for Grades 9 to 12
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Grades 9–10:
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Units: 10
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Competencies reduced to 10 for both grades
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Learning outcomes: 32 each for Grade 9 and Grade 10
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Grades 11–12:
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Units: 12
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Competencies reduced from 13 to 12
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Learning outcomes:
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Grade 11: 29
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Grade 12: 30
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Changes in Health and Physical Education Curriculum
The Health and Physical Education curriculum for Grades 9 and 10 has also been revised.
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Competencies reduced from 13 to 9
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Periods reduced from 5 to 4 per week
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Total hours reduced from 160 to 128
All optional subjects will now have 4 periods per week and 128 total teaching hours.
Integration and Thematic Adjustments
Since Health and Physical Education are interrelated, some themes across units have been integrated.
For example, Units 1 and 2 combine both health and physical education content under distinct thematic areas while retaining their individual subject identity.
National Curriculum Naming Standardization
Previously, the National Curriculum Framework (2076) used varying subject names:
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Grades 4–8: Social Studies and Human Value Education
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Grades 9–10: Social Studies
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Grades 11–12: Social Studies and Life Skills Education
To ensure uniformity and reduce confusion, the Council has standardized the subject name to Social Studies from Grades 4 to 12, effective from 2081.
Pilot Implementation and Full Rollout Plan
According to Information Officer Ghimire, the revised curriculum will be piloted in selected districts and schools during the 2083 academic session.
A full nationwide implementation will begin from the 2084 academic session.
Aimed at Improving SEE Results and Learning Levels
In 2080, only 48% of students passed the SEE. In 2081, this increased to around 62%.
The Council believes the revised Social Studies curriculum—designed based on students’ level, interest, and learning needs—will further improve learning outcomes and examination performance.
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