When enrolling your children in an Indian school, you and your children have two curricula to choose from: the Central Board of Secondary Education or CBSE and the Indian Council of Secondary Education ICSE curriculum.
Many Indian schools in Dubai and other cities follow these two curricula since they are the two most sought-after and popular boards in India.
Both academic programmes are rooted in the Indian educational and value systems, making them relatable and easy to understand and apply in real life.
However, the two programmes are also different in various ways. As a parent, you have to know these differences, so you can choose the ideal curriculum for your children or help them select the best one that suits them if you’re letting them make this decision.
The CBSE Curriculum
The CBSE academic programme is a standardised curriculum which originated from and is followed widely in India.
This curriculum is offered by hundreds of schools across the world.
The CBSE programme uses standardised textbooks and follows structured syllabi. Although it may seem controlled, no students can fail a class until they reach the eighth grade.
Additionally, board exams are optional during the student’s 10th grade but required during their 12th grade.
The curriculum comprises several major subjects, which include:
- Humanities
- Mathematics
- Science and technology
- Health
- Physical education
- Commerce
- Visual and performing arts
Each academic year comprises two semesters. When your children attend a school following the CBSE programme, they won’t take annual, quarterly, or half-yearly exams.
Instead, they will undergo continuous exams throughout the academic year called formative assessments or FA and one comprehensive test, the summative assessment or SA.
Students enrolled in a school following the CBSE curriculum stand to gain the following benefits:
● Valuable learning skills
The CBSE educational syllabus incorporates various activities that promote critical and creative thinking, communication skills, and teamwork. These abilities are considered the key learning skills the younger generation needs now and in the future.
● Enhanced information literacy
Information literacy pertains to the technological and media skills individuals need to find and evaluate information to ensure they are accurate and trustworthy. When students combine this ability with critical thinking, they can make smart, unbiased decisions and become more confident individuals and effective contributors to society.
● Improved interpersonal skills
Schools with the CBSE curriculum provide students with a variety of activities that teach them how to establish and maintain relationships with their classmates, teachers and other people around them. These experiences also allow learners to develop self-awareness, helping them learn to understand the feelings of others and accept criticisms.
● Holistic development
CBSE schools use student-friendly teaching and learning methodologies. Aside from providing students with know-how, the students are also given various opportunities to apply the skills they learn in the classroom to real-world situations.
Aside from these benefits, your children have an advantage when you enrol them in a CBSE school if you have plans to move to India or are constantly relocating to various countries in the Middle East.
The curriculum can also give students a leg up when they choose an engineering or medical course in college.
The ICSE Curriculum
This curriculum was established and is governed by the University of Cambridge’s Local Examinations Syndicate. It differs significantly from other curricula, mainly in content and volume.
The ICSE curriculum is more comprehensive, covering all typical school subjects and giving equal weight to each one of them.
These subjects include:
- English (language and literature)
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social studies
- Music
- Physical education
- Computers
- Arts
- Value education
If your children are interested in taking a business or humanities course, they will find the ICSE curriculum an excellent training ground and foundation.
Additionally, this educational programme covers several English subjects from grades six to 10. Because of this, graduating students are more likely to perform well on English language proficiency tests.
The ICSE curriculum is also known for its valuable goals of incorporating academic trends to help students meet the challenging requirements of their studies.
It also aims to prepare young learners with the skills and strengths they need to meet the demands of a knowledge-based, competitive, and constantly changing society.
The ICSE syllabus offers the following benefits for its students:
● Balanced, comprehensive curriculum
The ICSE academic program covers an array of subjects, all of which are discussed in detail by the teachers. Also, all courses and topics are given equal attention and weight, regardless of the student’s levels.
● Practical application of studies
Most ICSE schools allot around 20% of the total marks for each subject students take on project or lab work. As a result, the learners can apply everything they have learned inside and outside the classroom.
● Graded subjects promoting extra-curricular interests
This curriculum offers a variety of subjects, such as cooking, fashion design and agriculture, which students can pick from based on their interests and strengths. This allows learners to have a balanced learning experience that incorporates academics with fun and practical activities.
● Internationally recognized qualification
Many colleges and universities around the world recognize the ICSE qualification. Because of this, students with this diploma can be admitted nearly anywhere. Additionally, ICSE students have an excellent foundation and a better chance of performing well when they take the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination or CISCE.
Main Differences Between the CBSE and ICSE Curricula
In terms of pedagogy, the CBSE curriculum follows a more organized structure, while the ICSE programme focuses on details and hands-on learning. This is why the latter covers 20% of the marks allotted from the internal assessment.
The two curricula also have slight differences in content. CBSE schools focus more on science and mathematics. However, they also try to incorporate studies of the arts and humanities.This programme aims to prepare students to take competitive courses and careers, such as engineering, medicine, health sciences, banking and finance.
On the other hand, the ICSE syllabus pays more attention to language, the arts, and science subjects. It is designed to equip students interested in management, literature and arts courses and careers.
By knowing the key features and benefits of and differences between the CBSE and ICSE curricula, you can make an informed decision. You can help your children make the right decision in choosing the right school for them where they can flourish.