I would choose...

Freedom through the Montessori method

I have admitted my 2nd child to a Montessori school. I took the decision after going to a number of schools. Most schools start training the students to write at the age of 2 ½, which I was against as motor developments take place only by 4 years of age.

I did not want my son to carry loads of books accompanied with the same amount of homework and learn under pressure. Yet I wanted him to learn well and master what his brain can absorb in a free environment and in the long run be able to face competitive exams.

The Montessori method respects individual liberty of children to choose their own activities. This freedom allows children to follow their inner guidance for self-directed learning.

When I learnt that my child will be learning in such an environment I naturally decided to deviate from the other boards which pressurize the young ones with incessant tests, projects and homework.

Jyoti S Prakash

ICSE best for secondary education

As you pointed out correctly the ICSE curriculum was not available in Hoskote (Bangalore rural). Hence my son studied in the state syllabus up to Std 3. I later put him in an ICSE school as: I understood that the ICSE curriculum is the best for secondary education in India; It will give a very good foundation for life; It covers more subjects; It gives an insight into professional studies or management studies; Students gain a good command over English.

Murali Krishna

Without much choice

‘Beggars cannot be choosers,’ goes an old saying. In my case it is so in so far as choosing a school/Education Board for my child. I am transferred every four years. So, for my child I cannot think of CBSE as there is no guarantee that the next place where I am posted has a CBSE school. I have to bank on schools with the state syllabus. So my criteria to choose is a state board school simply because: They are present throughout the state unlike CBSE schools.

Pradeep Kumar Kumble
Mysore

CBSE for those in transferable jobs

The CBSE is always the preferred choice of millions as the standards set by the Board are really assuring and also because of its reach to all the corners of the country. Since central government employees and others are liable to frequent transfers CBSE schools come in handy for seeking admissions for their children wherever they are posted.

Moreover, with the medium of instruction in such schools being either Hindi or English there is no necessity of learning the respective state languages that becomes a big burden on students. For all these reasons the CBSE schools stand apart and so have wide acceptance all over the country.

V Padmanabhan
Bangalore

A student’s perspective

I have just written my 12th CBSE Board Examination. I studied till grade 10 in an ICSE school and after that shifted to CBSE for 11th and 12th after great deliberation.  I found a huge difference in the way the CBSE curriculum handles a subject in 11th and 12th. It is like as if they expect you to know the background details. The NCERT textbook is of no use if you are trying to do a chapter for the first time. I also agree that the CBSE 9th and 10th curriculum is very light compared to the ICSE curriculum. Though the NCERT questions are really good and thought provoking, the way concepts are put forward in the same book doesn’t seem to complement the questions given.

CBSE students do not learn about logarithms at all (while it is taught in 9th and 11th grades in ICSE) and are expected to use only the log tables for calculations in grades 11 and 12 (while ISC students are permitted to use scientific calculators)! Also, derivations using integration are common in 11th grade while integration is taught only in the 12th grade!

On the other hand I found the ICSE curriculum more knowledge-based. Students have the freedom to move beyond the syllabus. At the end of the day one gets all the important concepts of a chapter firmly imprinted on his or her mind. After that, attempting application-based questions, theoretical ones, etc. becomes a piece of cake. The ICSE curriculum is designed in such a way that they take you step by step from Grade 8 onwards, whereas in CBSE it is a huge leap from grade 10 to grade 11.

In conclusion I would like to say that, if one wants to make good use of their schooling, one should choose the ICSE syllabus and ISC syllabus (yes, in spite of the tough English) and along with that practice questions from the NCERT textbook.
Rijutha Jaganathan

State board for me

I would select the state board because: It is financially affordable;  There is less stress and strain as there is not much elaboration of concepts and lessons; Emphasis is given to sports and other co-curricular activities;  Develops leisure time activities. Adjusts time for study and other activities.

Makes more friends. Does not waste time in front of TV or internet. Sports forces one to take nutritious food, thereby improving physical strength; Three to four children sit on a bench and use one computer. This helps in learning to share and learn together; Children are from all classes of society, therefore learns to value money and happiness; All round personality development takes place; If children are not able to cope with the CBSE or ICSE syllabi, they are sent to state board schools.

It is very embarrassing for the child and the parent. This situation does not arise in state board, as this syllabus has to be learnt; State board has three languages and is at par with CBSE and ICSE.  Aspiring students can take extra tuitions and prepare for any competitive exams easily. 

Shila M S
Mysore

The IB for my child

The goal of a good pre-university curriculum should be to prepare students to be independent learners and thinkers so that they can flourish and get the best out of a top class university education. The International Baccalaureate (IB) programme does an excellent job of achieving this goal and therefore it is no surprise that colleges and universities across the world actively recruit and welcome students who graduate with an IB Diploma.

The IB programme provides a well-rounded holistic education. It demands a lot from the student. The onus is on the student and a significant portion of the responsibility for the learning process is with the student. This encourages the student to think out-of-the-box and also fosters creative thinking.

The mission statement and the vision of the IB programme is more in tune with the demands of learning in the contemporary world which requires quick sorting and proper use of massive amounts of information. The IB curriculum also inculcates leadership qualities and trains the student to look at issues from a global perspective.

One of the requirements of the IB programme, the Extended Essay, encourages the student to use bodies of knowledge from different disciplines and provides a great opportunity for integrated learning. This is in sharp contrast to the compartmentalised learning that takes place in many high school and pre-university programmes.

N S Nandagopal
Texas, USA

CBSE has its benefits

Given a preference I would like to put my son in a CBSE school: The reasons for it are:
In the CBSE syllabus there is emphasis on Hindi which is one thing that I want my son to follow. Hindi is our national language and I want my son to learn it and understand it; In CBSE the math and science subjects are compulsory till tenth which is good for students.

Till tenth the math and science basically consists of basics which are required in our daily life. After tenth a student understands his capability as per his age and can decide on what to do further; The benefit as stated in the ICSE syllabus, is that it is more management oriented. I feel that management starts from home and at a young age.

Lastly, CBSE also concentrates on projects and other curricular activities which help a child grow in all respects if he gathers the opportunity with both hands.

Rashmi Bhat

ICSE has an edge

As  a teacher and a student of ICSE education, I can easily differentiate between these two boards. ICSE holds a better weightage than CBSE not only in terms of examination, standard of syllabus but also in the all round development of the child.  It not only caters to core subjects like maths and science (as in CBSE) but also to humanities and SUPW apart from other unconventional subjects which is of much greater importance today in the development of life skills.

Examinations are important in every walk of life, yet the way it is treated makes all the difference. The grading system in CBSE only hypes a child’s ability sometimes beyond its actual ability or skill to perform, it does not indicate where he really stands in the competitive world.

What cuts the ICSE students from their counterparts is their exposure to investigate, experiment and develop curiosity to learn.

Ruth Divya

All-round development

I would prefer the ICSE syllabus as it focuses on excelling in studies along with extraordinary curricular activities.  The board allows students to think out-of-the-box, investigate, explore and enhance skills. This kind of education improves reasoning skills and develops confidence in young minds.

For this to happen ICSE board affiliates schools only after viewing the campus and ensuring that the school has modern technology; The board allows students to choose eleven subjects out of nineteen; Students interested in sports get great exposure as ICSE holds regional sports meets and qualifying students are sent to national and international sports events; The bulk syllabus covers most of the syllabus relating to the civil service exams and even other exams also can easily be cleared without coaching;

The board gives preference to English language and literature. The ICSE and ISE board is recognised by some foreign universities, hence students have opportunities to study abroad; Students passing ICSE perform better in pre-university when compared to students in the state and CBSE students;  

Darshan
Bangalore