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A Guide to Education Boards in India

So many kinds of boards in India? Which one to select? What are the differences? What is better? In order to give some clarity, we are writing a piece of information that will be helpful for you decide the board! 

Let us divide the Boards between 2 categories – Indian Board , Foreign Board. The Latter include IGCSE (Cambridge curriculum) and IB (International Baccalaureate) vs former include CBSE, ICSE and State board. 

First let us focus on the Indian Boards –

1. State Board: The State Board, the OG, the one which our parents and grandparents have studied. 

Academic oriented, focussing on regional languages, though it’s considered outdated in recent times, some students pursue this board for the following reasons – 

  1. Overall reputation of the school – The school having a state board is reputed and is known to provide overall learning to the students. 
  2. Affordability – Generally schools having SSC boards is comparatively cheaper.
  3. Academically oriented environment – Many parents need their child to be focused and disciplined in terms of academics and the state board offers that completely.

2. CBSE/ICSE Board
ICSE stands for Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, and CBSE stands for Central Board of Secondary Education. Both boards offer high-quality syllabus that prepares the child well for their future career decisions and in life. Let us give broad difference between both the boards

1. Pedagogy – The first and foremost difference between CBSE and ICSE is the Pedagogy. CBSE is more focused on building a strong foundation to prepare students for competitive exams like IIT JEE, NEET, etc. The syllabus is more structured and organized, making it easy to grab. On the other hand, ICSE stresses more on the project assignments where 20% of marks are selected via internal assessments. The syllabus is based on application-based and detailed learning

2. Syllabus – The difference between CBSE and ICSE syllabus can be seen in the applied teaching methodologies. ICSE board teaching methods rely more on the application of theoretical concepts and real-life ideas through a deep understanding of the subject matter. On other hand, CBSE has a compact syllabus with fewer subjects to study. Science and Mathematics are the two most focused subjects in the CBSE boards while the ICSE board gives equal importance to other subjects also such as Art, Language, Humanities, Science Mathematics, etc. Another difference between CBSE and ICSE syllabus is associated with the structure of the syllabus. ICSE has a detailed, comprehensive, and complex syllabus but the CBSE board has a precise, and easy syllabus for the students. So, in terms of the scope of the syllabus in ICSE Vs CBSE, ICSE is a win-win situation. 

3. Medium of Instruction – The CBSE board doesn’t have any preference for language, whereas the ICSE board puts more focus on the English language which again can help you clear your TOEFL, IELTS, and other standard exams. Additionally, ICSE Board also gives more emphasis on teaching literature and language skills that help students improve their personalities. It is another point that may help you find which board is best CBSE or ICSE.

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4. Acceptance – In the context of the difference between CBSE and ICSE, ICSE has better acceptability for students applying to universities abroad. CBSE board also has a wider acceptance, but students with an ICSE certification tend to get more weightage in foreign lands.

5. Board Transfers – The ICSE Board doesn’t accept students from other boards in classes 10th and 12th. To be eligible to get admission to these classes, students must have studied with the ICSE in 9th and 11th standards, respectively.

Though we conclude ICSE being a better Indian board – considering the flexibility and learning techniques, still, there are factors such as – reputation of the school, proximity of the school to the student’s residence, faculty/teachers, infrastructure and other extra learning offerings provided by the school.

Now let us focus on the International Boards

With regards to International Boards, there are 3 types of Boards majorly in India –

  • International Baccalaureate (IB)
  • Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
  • French Baccalaureate (FB)

1. International Baccalaureate (IB) – It is a Geneva based board.  There are a lot of benefits of getting your child admitted to a school. Please find below the benefits – 

  1. IB Board instead of merely focusing on developing academic excellence in the students focuses on their holistic growth and development. 
  2. The IB Board give its students numerous opportunities to learn to excel in extracurricular activities apart from being academically outstanding achievers. 
  3. The students studying the IB Board are skilled in multiple areas; they generally have quite strong communication skills, strong analytical skills, critical thinking skills, good time – management, strong interpersonal skills, etc. The IB Board’s main focus is on the overall personality development of its students
  4. Education is very practically imparted and the learning is more conceptual rather than through text books and rote learning. 
  5. They follow the non examination route for Primary years (3 to 12 years) wherein the marking would be based on internal assessment, projects and other practical activities. 

IB is divided into 3- Primary Years Programme  ( 3 to 12 years) , MYP (12 to 16 years) (Middle Years Programme) and IBDP ( 16-18 years) 

Some of the disadvantages of IB include the following – 

  1. It is very expensive. IB world schools range between 5 to 10 Lakhs per year. 
  2. It doesn’t make you exam ready. Incase you wish to prepare yourself for Indian entrance exams such as NEET, JEE then IB students wont be able to cope up with such intensive curriculum given their nature and intensity of education. 
  3. The curriculum is extremely practical so sometimes, students dnt develop much habit of writing
  4. The level of PYP is very low in the beginning compared to the subjects taught in other Indian boards. For example – The maths level is low initially and then it picks up in the MYP! 
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2. Cambridge Board –It consists of 4 stages. The Cambridge International Primary Programme is for learners who are 5 to 11 years old. The Cambridge Secondary 1 is meant for children in the age group of 11 to 14 years. Cambridge Secondary 2 is designed for students aged 14 to 16 years. Finally, Cambridge International A level is for learners who are 16 to 19 years. It is the advanced level of IGCSE and prepares students for higher education and universities. Major benefits of choosing the Cambridge Board are as follows –

  1. International Recognition: IGCSE qualifications are recognized and respected by universities and employers worldwide.
  2. Curriculum Flexibility: The IGCSE curriculum allows schools to design their courses and syllabi that best suit the needs of their students.
  3. Emphasis on Practical Skills: The IGCSE curriculum places a strong emphasis on developing practical skills and real-world problem-solving, which can better prepare students for the demands of higher education and the workforce.
  4. Examination Flexibility: IGCSE exams offer a variety of assessment methods, including coursework, practical assessments, and oral exams, which can better suit the strengths of different students. 
  5. Exposure to Global Perspectives: The IGCSE curriculum exposes students to different cultures, societies, and ways of thinking, helping to develop a more global perspective.
  6. Multiple languages: IGCSE offers an option to study in multiple languages including English, Hindi, French, and German which makes it more inclusive for students coming from different backgrounds.

Major difference between IB and IGCSE is as below–

  1. IB is more universal and holistic knowledge imparted vs IGCSE is focussed on a subjects 
  2. IB doesn’t follow the textbooks system and ICGSE do have textbooks. Its like a blend of Indian and international board
  3.  IB Board is a student and skill-centred system and IGCSE is more syllabus and examination driven
  4. Incase, you wish to make sure that the student studies in India for their bachelors then IGCSE is a better board for schooling as it will help the student to cope up with Indian board well compared to IB. 
  5. If you are pretty sure that the student will pursue the higher studies abroad then, IB is more holistic and flexible in terms of their approach. 

3. French Baccalaureate – Lycée Français International de Mumbai (The French International School of Mumbai), commonly referred to as LFIM, is a private French international school in Mumbai. Apart from that, There is French International School in Delhi which follows the French Baccalaureate. 

Its curriculum abides by the official programs of the national French education system. The school is multilingual, which exposes the students to a large variety of different cultures and 60% of the faculty hails from France.

The academic curriculum provides a rigorous and unique bilingual and bicultural education with the principal language of instruction being French. The schools have a structural curriculum mandated by the French Ministry of Education, and an English curriculum developed using guidelines from the Cambridge English Curriculum.

From Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5, the curriculum is taught 50% in French and 50% in English.

In Middle and High school, the curriculum is 70% in French and 40% in English. Additionally, Spanish and German are offered as secondary languages as well.

Who should go ahead with FB?

  1. The ones who hailed from France for a few years and are planning to return to their home country within a few years. 
  2. The ones who wish their kids study in a bilingual environment
  3. The ones who are attracted with the French culture and tradition. One of the unique aspects of the French baccalaureate is its rigorous emphasis on the study of humanities, language, and literature, enriching students’ appreciation for culture, art and philosophy.

Major difference between IB and FB? 

The IB offers a global perspective, flexibility, and a holistic education, while the French Baccalaureate celebrates tradition, academic rigour, and specialisation.

Aara Consultancy helps in selection of Board and a full fledged career counseling session wherein the counselor will help in choosing a career options and Board considering various factors. A comprehensive career path would be provided from our side after you take the one on one career counseling session.

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