Understanding the Difference Between CBSE, ISCE and IB Board

India is a vast country with different religions, climates and food habits. The difference is, however, not restricted to these three criteria, even the education system is versatile. Over the years, CBSE and ICSE were the two main education boards in the country, but IB and IGCSE have recently made their presence felt. You must be thinking, what’s the difference between all these types when the sole purpose is to educate a child? The answer lies within this post.

CBSE

CBSE is a board with traditional teaching methods and a self-study approach. While Science and Mathematics are covered extensively, Arts and Humanities lack in depth. The NCERT books have chapters designed to bring out the imagination in the child, focusing more on the creative bent and less on the factual representation. The syllabus is more analytical and practical.

ICSE

If we talk specifically about the areas of Arts and Humanities, ICSE takes over CBSE. There is a lot of emphasis on language and practicals in science. This is why ICSE board schools are better in terms of facility and infrastructure. Every topic is covered thoroughly in ICSE board, but this increases the load on the student.

IB Curriculum

What provides the IB curriculum an edge is its customised approach to meet the needs of the students. The curriculum equips teachers with the ways to keep the curriculum more engaging for students. The goal is to genuine develop the interest of students in a topic, reinvent teaching style, and make learning activities based. Not to miss, the international school curriculum needs to be designed and followed by teachers and the educational body.

The Drawbacks

CBSE

Students who want to make their career in Arts and Humanities might find it difficult to get a thorough understanding of the topic in CBSE. They will read stories but a greater part will be left for them to imagine and understand.

ICSE

Since every topic is discussed in the longest detail, it could be difficult for an average or below-average student to match with their classmates. ICSE board is good for students with interest in literature, but Science students might not derive a lot of benefits.

IB

IB is a new entrant in the education system, so chances are that not many schools have adopted it starting from their junior levels. Students who have studied in ICSE or CBSE boards till class X may not be able to adopt to this totally new approach. Besides students, even teachers need to work very hard to deliver education that matches the international standards.

Final Words

Every board has its pros and cons. Parents need to understand what their expectations are from school. If they want the child to be creative, sincere and a jack of all trades, it could be CBSE or IB board. Similarly, ICSE board students do better in competitive exams. Parents who have plans of shifting aboard in the next few years should go for a school with IB curriculum with no second thoughts.

Shikha Ahuja works for one of the best education management companies and she is the head of the department for designing curriculum for middle school in Delhi.