5 Curricula options to choose from?
Written by: Supti Karmakar
5 Minute Reads
When we were growing up, we had worries, worries like: what to play, why we need to study, how to bunk school and other such "important" topics. But, did we ever sit to ponder on which Curriculum to choose? Did you see your parents pondering upon this?
Those were the days when we did not have many choices. Our parents were always satisfied by the school's methods, the teaching style etc., and most of us students were always dissatisfied by the same. But, now students and parents have options, options in terms of curriculum to choose from depending on their preferences. Wishing you were in school again?
Well let's get back to the topic! Broadly speaking, there are 5 curriculum options offered here in India: IB, IGCSE, ICSE, CBSE, and the State Boards. Though there are a lot of differences in the curriculum content, methodologies etc. still choosing a curriculum for your child might turn out to be a pretty daunting experience, as there is always that FOMO (fear of missing out).
The grass always looks greener the other side, but if we think clearly,
the choice depends on various factors such as future goals of your children,
activities the curriculum provides you with, its affordability and also very
importantly the child's learning style, as each educational board follows a
distinct teaching style.
First let’s get little understanding about the 5 curricula:
CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education)
- Follows a concentric curriculum where the topics taught are built on what was taught the previous academic year.
- There is a wide range of schools which adopt this curriculum. Thus finding a school in your locality might not be a problem for you
- If you wish to choose a board keeping in mind the Indian college entrance exams e.g. JEE/AIEEE etc. then CBSE is for you as its curriculum is in line with college entrances
- Its major focus is on maths and science.
- If you have a relocating job then this board is suitable for you as it has a standardized curriculum all over India
- It has lesser number of subjects as compared to ICSE
- More theoretical approach and less practical
- You don’t have the choice of picking individual subjects in 11th and 12th; rather you pick the whole stream
CICSE (Council of Indian Certificate for Secondary Education)
- Follows a spiral curriculum where basic facts are taught first to the students and more details are introduced later.
- Candidates from a non-affiliated school are not permitted to appear for the exam
- It focuses equally on all the subjects such as language, art, and science
- It offers a large variety of subjects
- If you are more interested in applied knowledge rather than rote learning then ICSE is for you
- It provides greater focus on practical knowledge than CBSE does but lesser than IB or IGCSE
- Its curriculum is tougher than CBSE
- It has more number of subjects than CBSE
IB (International Baccalaureate)
- Follow a learner-centric approach with a focus on research and problem-solving skills.
- It is divided into three sections, the PYP (Primary Year Program for KG to 5thstd), MYP (Middle Year Program for 6th to 10th std) and DP (Diploma Years Program for 11th and 12thstd)
- More focus on applied knowledge rather than rote learning
- Students can pick a subject of their choice at the DP level each from 6 groups and DP core
- It’s more expensive than ICSE and CBSE schools
IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education)
- Follow a learner-centric approach with a focus on research and problem-solving skills.
- It provides international curriculum to class 9th and 10th. For 11th & 12th it's AS/A Levels.
- It acts as a precursor for the IB curriculum in many international schools
- It provides the larger choice of subjects
- The students have a choice to pick from core subjects as well as to pick from groups of subjects
- More expensive as compared to CBSE and ICSE schools
State Boards
- The curriculum and evaluation system is unique to every state in India, with a focus on the state's culture as well as regional language.
- The curriculum is designed so as to accommodate students of all capabilities
- You can score well in public exams
- As the workload is less one can focus on other activities such as sports etc.
- Suitable for those students who wish to score high and simultaneously prepare for competitive exams such as JEE
- The syllabus is not comprehensive enough as compared to another curriculum
- Usually, the state language is mandatory to opt which might act as a hurdle for students from other states
Important points to consider while choosing a curriculum for your child:
Your child's learning style:
Each
educational board follows a distinct teaching style. It is crucial that you
understand this and choose the most suitable one for your child. While
education in CBSE schools is focused on developing few core skills, IB/ IGCSE
schools stress more on improving research abilities.
The nature of your job plays a crucial role:
This
is a basic important guide for parents. If there is a high chance that you may
have to relocate abroad for work, it is better to choose an international
curriculum like the IGCSE or IB or even the CBSE-International. Transfer of
schools, change of country becomes much easier with an international board.
Entrance examinations:
If your child aspires to
pursue undergraduate studies outside India, international boards like IGCSE or
IB would be better. Also, when it comes to taking up entrance exams outside
India, like the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) and TOEFL (Test of English as
a Foreign Language), students from the international boards are better prepared
because of the higher quality of teaching languages, especially English. SAT
India scores are accepted by 35 Indian Universities and around 50 Institutes,
for admission in courses offered by them.
Competitive entrance exams at the all-India
level, like the IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology - Joint Entrance
Examination), AIEEE (All India Engineering Entrance Examination), and AIPMT
(All India Pre Medical Test), are primarily based on the CBSE syllabus.
However, students from IB/ IGCSE caan appear for these tests. Just that the
syllabus, question pattern is on different lines for the IB/ IGCSE students,
hence they need to put in a lot of extra effort.
States like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, which
have a high density of engineering and medical colleges and a high Gross
Enrolment Ratio (GER), give higher preference to students from the state board
for admission into professional courses. Also, medical and engineering colleges
in many states, including Tamil Nadu, consider marks scored at school level
exams, apart from entrance exams for admission.
Expenses:
Schools with international boards are
usually on the expensive side. This is primarily because the syllabus is
autonomous and there is a high training cost and cost of customizing the educational
content.
It is important for the parents to understand that one should not go by popular opinion or what many schools promise as the best curriculum. 'One size fits all' approach does not work in this context, as every child is different and the needs are different, the challenges are different. One should take into account all the above factors before choosing the curriculum that is most suited to the child.
I am a Certified Career Coach and an Education Counsellor based in Bangalore. I hold a Masters in Human Resource Management, I also am a certified Special educator, IB certified teacher, a Curriculum Developer, and a mother of two. I have around two decades of total experience of Human Resource Management, Teaching, Counseling and Parenting! I have created this Blog to share my thoughts especially about the changing world of Education and Career in general.
We provide personalized guidance, and help students to uncover themselves and ideal career. Link to find out our services https://mycareersculptor.com/services.html
Other Blogs:
Why Career Counselling? https://suptimcs.blogspot.com/2021/06/who-needs-career-counselling.html
Curriculum Evaluator:https://products.univariety.com/product/curriculum-evaluator/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
We, also facilitate various profile building & skill building programs.
Contact details:
Mobile: 9538999752
Email: mycareersculptor@gmail.com
Don't forget to visit and sign up @ www.mycareersculptor.com
Comments
Post a Comment