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CBSE vs ICSE vs IGCSE vs IB vs State Curriculum 

 by Navina Anand
Choose the right curriculum for your child - ZenParent
Today, children have more choices in education in picking a curriculum. However it can be a little confusing as to which curriculum is right for your child, as there is no ‘one size fits all’. Picking a curriculum would depend on many factors :what aspirations you and your child have- If going abroad for college education is a goal; If you have a job that requires you to relocate constantly- locally or globally ; If your child has  more varied  interests like art and music, rather than simple basics; And of course the affordability factor. The following are some of the salient points of each curriculum.

1. CBSE (Central Board for Secondary Education)

Pros:

Widely available schools under this curriculum
Standardized textbooks (NCERT textbooks)
The curriculum standard is in-line with most college entrance exams
Allows private candidates and those from non-affiliated schools to appear for the exams
Larger focus on maths and science and less on language
Favoured by those who constantly relocate within India and seek a standardized curriculum
Favoured by those who want to go into the traditional routes of Engineering/medical
Cons:

Lesser number of subjects compared to ICSE
More theoretical approach
Focus is mainly on maths and science
You pick a stream, instead of individual subjects in 11th and 12th  such as Science, Commerce, Arts  etc
Click here for an in-depth understanding of CBSE

2. ICSE (Indian Certificate for Secondary Education)

Pros:

Can follow any textbook of their choice
Does not permit candidates from a non-affiliated school to appear for the exam
Equal focus on Language, Art and Science
Offers a larger variety of subjects to choose from
Favoured by those who are interested in more applied knowledge rather than rote learning
Cons:

Greater focus on practical learning than CBSE , but not as much as IB or IGCSE
Curriculum considered to be tougher and more vast than CBSE
More number of subjects compared to CBSE
3. IB (International Baccalaureate)

Pros:

The international Baccalaureate curriculum is popular worldwide
It has 3 sections, the PYP (Primary years program- KG to 5th std), MYP (Middle years program –Std 6-10) and the DYP(Diploma years program, Std 11 and 12)
IB has no prescribed textbooks and a lot of freedom in learning
Focus of curriculum is on Analytical skills, language, arts and humanities
The focus is more on applied knowledge instead of rote learning
The DP core consists of Extended essay , creative/action/service  project and theory of knowledge
At the DYP Level, students can pick a subject each from 6 groups and the DP core
Usually favoured by those who want to send their children abroad for undergraduation or students of parents who will be relocating globally
Cons:

A new entrant in the Indian educational scene
Not aligned to local entrance exam content
More expensive than CBSE and ICSE schools
Difficult to find private tutors for extra coaching
Private students cannot take the exams
A good night’s sleep is absolutely essential for your kid to perform well in any curriculum and here are a few bedtime books that will ensure that.

4. IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education)

Pros:

International curriculum for Class 9 and 10
It’s the precursor to the IB curriculum in many international schools for 11 and 12
Larger choice of subjects
Assessments include written and oral exams
Application oriented curriculum
There are core subjects which everyone has to pick and then 5 groups of subjects from which one has to be picked ( Maths group, Language group etc )
Ideal for students whose parents tend to relocate globally or students who plan to pursue undergraduation abroad.
Cons:

Difficult to find private tutors who coach in this curriculum
More expensive than CBSE and ICSE schools
5. STATE BOARD

Pros:

Unique to every state in India
Considered easier than all other boards
An inclusive curriculum that tries to accommodate all students of all capabilities
Easy to score high in the public exams
A student who has other interests like sports that take up a lot of time may choose this syllabus to keep the work load easy
Favoured by students who choose this curriculum for scoring high and simultaneously focusing on extra classes to appear for entrance exams like IIT JEE.
Cons:

The syllabus might not be comprehensive enough when compared with other curriculum. This might prove a damper in entrance exams in the 12th standard.
Traditionally has been more of rote learning
State language is usually mandatory, though this varies from state to state
It has been said that the more choices humans have, the more unhappy they are 🙂  The latest in the list of dilemmas that parents have , is the choice of curriculum and school and very few are 100% satisfied with their choice. But all we need to do is take a look at the success stories around us. Whom do we consider most successful? The one who went to the fanciest school and scored the highest marks? Or the one who has the best overall attitude towards life – Something for all of us to ponder 



CBSE – A closer look
 Navina Anand
NAVINA ANAND Monday at 12:08 PM
PARENTING




CENTRAL BOARD FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION(CBSE)

Children today are offered a plethora of choices in everything including education. When it comes to education systems , there are multiple options like CBSE, State Board, ICSE, IB, IGCSE etc. One of the popular curriculum standards in India is the CBSE system. In this article, we have explored a bit in detail about what it means to put your child in this system of education.

SALIENT FEATURES

Standardised curriculum across the country established by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training)
More than 16000 schools offering this curriculum in India and in 24 countries across the world.
The syllabus is very structured and controlled
Standardised Textbooks.
No child can fail a class till 8th grade
Most entrance exams conducted in the country for college admission follow this syllabus.
Board exams are OPTIONAL in 10th grade and MANDATORY in 12th Grade
Favoured by those who constantly relocate within India or even abroad to countries in the Middle East etc and seek a standardized curriculum
Favoured by those who want to go into the traditional routes of Engineering/medical
Curriculum Focus at Secondary Level: This focuses on 7 major learning areas (Actual subjects offered will vary from school to school )

Languages – Hindi, English, and 32 other languages
Humanities- Geography, History, Economics, Home Science, Sociology, Fine Arts, Political Science, Fashion Studies, Creative Writing and translation Studies and related subjects
Mathematics
Science and Technology- Subjects related to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, ICT, Information Practices and Web and Multimedia Studies
Health and Physical Education
Visual and  Performing arts – Dance, Drama, Music, Drawing, Painting, Crafts and Sculpture
Commerce – Business Studies, Accountancy, Entrepreneurship, Economics and related subjects
ASSESSMENT:

In the CBSE System, instead of 3 exams like Quarterly, half yearly and Annual, there is continuous assessment throughout the year called Formative Assessments (FA) and one exam called Summative assessment (SA). There are two semesters.

First semester Assessment:

FA1:

Formative Assessment will consist of 3 activities of 10 marks each:  (Final Weightage: 10 marks)

Individual Activity (Making chart, model, project etc)
Group Activity (Skit, Model making, project presentations etc)
Pen and paper exam
FA2:  Same as above (Final Weightage: 10 marks)

Summative Assessment: Written Exam -(90% Theory, 10% Practical) – Final weightage – 30 marks

Total marks per semester: 50

Two semesters add up to 100 marks for the academic year.

GPA CRITERIA

MARKS RANGE GRADE GRADE POINT
91-100 A1 10
81-90 A2 9
71-80 B1 8
61-70 B2 7
51-60 C1 6
41-50 C2 5
33-40 D 4
21-32 E1
20 and Below E2
SPECIAL EDUCATION:

The CBSE system also mandates Special Education. Children who seem to be having learning difficulties in class are referred to the school counselor. The counselor then observes the child and then may refer the child to a Special Education Teacher. Remedial classes may be conducted for those children separately by the special education teacher. Exam papers set for such children are done taking into consideration the adaptations and modifications required for such a child. For example, some children know the material but have a reading difficulty – For such children, the question papers will be read out loud so that they can answer.

Opinion of a CBSE Teacher with more than 10 years of experience in the field:

The syllabus is really broken down into bite size pieces for students to process. The students get multiple opportunities through activities etc to prove themselves and score points and this way they get more opportunities to pull up their scores than just 3 exams through the year. Also, instead of just pen and paper exam, students can do projects etc which require different skills.

The workload on children is light for CBSE students- At a time only 5/6 chapters at the most need to be studied and therefore the rigour is not as much compared to ICSE syllabus. This is very ideal till the primary level. However, the rigour needs to be stepped up in middle school. The CBSE recommended NCERT textbooks are at a very basic level and not comprehensive. Since the children are used to such a light load till 10th grade, once they move into 11th grade, they struggle with the overwhelming load of Senior Secondary syllabus. Some children are completely lost. However this system has been adopted by CBSE to ensure that there are fewer drop outs out of the school system before 10th grade.

The official CBSE academic website is http://cbseacademic.in/


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