CBSE Vs ICSE syllabus – Which board is better and why?

Perhaps it is only India, where we have options of choosing boards for our respective wards. The pressure is high, and the decision has to be made when the child is barely 4-year-old to prevent the transition later. The parents are in a dilemma, and until the child finds his/her craft, they suspect their decision. Many suggest that CBSE emphasizes on science and mathematics, but what if the child is not interested in the arts? So, parents choose a particular board without knowing the child’s inclination.

The major problem in India, is the lack of uniformity in the population based on finance. The literacy rates in the rural areas are affected primarily due to (a) inadequate educational infrastructure, (b) lack of competent teachers. Due to which, they heavily rely on the state board. State Board is comparatively less hectic, but not enough for the competitive exams. Largely the future of the child, professionally is based on the board s/he studies in.

CBSE

• It is the most acceptable syllabus in the country, and is approved by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training).
• The chain of central schools (Kendriya Vidyalaya), which also are government schools have CBSE. Previously, these schools accommodated children of government employees in transferable jobs. But these days the private schools too offer CBSE.
• The structured syllabus that suits most of the national entrance exams, works in favor of CBSE.
• The medium of instruction is English and Hindi.

ICSE

• This board is conducted by CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination).
• It is a branch of the Cambridge IGCSE that existed in the British India.
• It is the toughest board with a very detailed syllabus, but with equal emphasis on arts and literature.
• ICSE emphasizes only English as medium of instruction.

Even though CBSE is widely preferred, ICSE too is gaining preference. The detailed and tough syllabus, practical knowledge, emphasis on English literature, makes it stronger. Students stand confident with good command over English, and chances of scoring high in TOEFL are much higher. CBSE syllabus is preferred over ICSE when it comes to entrance exams. But it is extremely theoretical, and that goes against it in the current time. The ICSE offers detailed exposure to computers, English literature, environmental science and much more.With changing times that demands keeping up with the current world, ICSE has an edge over CBSE. Parents do want their child to be updated.

The need is to have revised teaching methods, and both the boards have undergone a lot of positive change. The conventional ‘chalk and duster’ methodology are replaced by learning based on experiments and experiences.

There are pros and cons of both the boards. It is for the parents to decide and choose the best for their child based on their child’s inclination. At the same time, it is tough to choose for your child, who barely understands her/his likes and strong points and probably what s/he wants to be when grown-up. Whatsoever, these boards are pillars of the Indian education system, and we can choose what suits our requirements.