Choosing The Right Board For Your Child.

 

Which school board to choose for my child? How do I make the right choice as a parent?

Choosing the right board that will be best for my child is a pressing dilemma amongst most of the parents, I  have been no exception to this when my child was a toddler ready for school. In this article, I aim to introduce parents to the various boards available, what does each board has to offer, its important details which will give parents a fair idea to be able to make the best decision for their child.

 Well most of the times, parent decisions in choosing the school are not by its board but rather keeping in mind some practical circumstances in front of them like:

·        Proximity to residence

·         All my neighborhood children are enrolled in that school

·         Fees and affordability

·         Lack of awareness of different boards.

However now the picture is changing, parents now are more aware and wish to look beyond their obvious conveniences while choosing the school keeping its board in mind. India has primarily 5 boards of school education to offer:

State Board:

1. Each state has its own board of education that conducts certificate examination for class 10 and class 12.

2.  The main benefits of this board are:

o    Reasonably prevalent within the state

o    Topics and content is of  local relevance 

3. State board schools fees are quite reasonable.

4. Larger class strength with around 50-60 children per class.

5. The curriculum content is lighter as compared to other boards.

6. If parents have transferable job then this board is not recommended.

CBSE- Central Board of Secondary Education

1. CBSE Board is the most popular school board in India. It is present in 21 nations across the globe.  The board focuses on the application of Science and Maths related subjects.  

2. The Main benefits of this board are:

o    Easy to find schools with this board in India and abroad.

o    The board regularly brings in innovation and strategies to make the curriculum for student-centric.

3. The curriculum is comprehensive but the child needs to have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the curriculum and its application.

4. The  fees are dependent on the area and facilities offered.

5. The class strength may go up to 40 children per class.

ICSE –Indian Certificate Secondary Education

1. It is a private body that was founded in the year 1956 to set and adapt University of Cambridge’s examination system to India. This body now conducts 3 examinations, namely  

o    ICSE (Indian certificate secondary education) exam for class 10

o    ISC (Indian school certificate) exam for class 12

o    CVE (Certificate for vocational education) exam for class 12

 

2. The board has an equal focus on languages, science, and art and encourages students to choose across diverse topics/subjects.

3. The Main benefits of this board are:

·         Wide recognition of board results across colleges in India and even abroad

·         More choice and freedom to students in deciding  subjects

·         Schools with this board are present all across India in case you have a transferable job.

 

4. The curriculum portion of this board is quite extensive.

5. Project-based learning and development forms an integral feature.

6.  The fees are dependent on the area and facilities offered.

7. The class strength may go up to 40 children per class.

IGCSE- International General Certificate of Secondary Education

1. The International General Certificate of Secondary Education is based on the British curriculum (GCSE) but adapted for a more internationally-focused student body.

2. It is mainly exam-based and is assessed through the exam board chosen by the school. The most well-known are Cambridge Assessment International Education.

3. Students who have done the IGCSE is observed to have a solid understanding of foundational concepts to build on in the IB DP later.

4. The class strength may go up to 30-35 children.

5. The fees are on the higher side and dependent on the area and facilities offered.

IB- International Baccalaureate (IB)

1. International Baccalaureate (IB) was founded in 1968 and is present in India and abroad. It is a private-run international educational foundation with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It has three main programs: Primary Year Programme for KG to Class 5, Middle Year Program for Class 6 to Class 10, and Diploma Programme for Class 11 and Class 12. 

2. This board is now becoming prevalent in India with high-end schools in metro cities. IB offers innovative learning programs and teaching approaches to achieve its objective of holistic development.

3. The teaching-learning process is hands-on, project-based, and focused on self-learning and exploration.

4. The main benefits of this board are:

o    Innovative curriculum

o Stress- Free teaching methods

o    Focus on all round development rather than only academic performance

o    Wide acceptance across the world.

5. Its syllabus teaches students analytical skills, language, arts, and humanities. 

6. The IB board helps students apply to foreign universities without a lot of additional tests.

7. The class strength may go up to 25 children only.

8. The fee structure is on the higher side and varies from school to school based on the area and facilities offered.

   Some advice to Parents while deciding the board and school:

All the best!

Please do share your comments about this article. In case of any queries, do share with me.

 

Ms. Farida Lokhandwala

Educator, Teacher Trainer, Curriculum Developer, and Zentaglist.

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 educationblogspot2021@gmail.com

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