Education Boards in India
The current world is more international than ever, it is important than ever to provide students with “global skills”. Nowadays parents have to choose not just school or course but also the education board under which the school is recognised.
In India, we have six education boards. Every board has its own set of teaching techniques, learning programmes, curricular standards, assessment criteria, and test-taking procedures that all contribute to students’ overall growth.
Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE)
CBSE is the most popular national education board for public and private schools in India, and it is overseen and supervised by the Union Government of India. CBSE is associated with around 24000 schools across the country, as well as approximately 240 schools in 26 countries across the world. The main objective of CBSE is servicing educational institutions more efficiently and being attentive to the educational requirements of students whose parents work for the Central Government and are regularly transferred around the country.
- In comparison to other educational boards, the CBSE board has a larger number of students.
- Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), a new approach for CBSE students in grades six through ten, was established by CBSE. The marking scheme has been removed.
- Tutors, books, and activities for all classes are readily available.
- Introduces activities focused on application in science, mathematics, and other topics.
- Recognition by all Indian colleges.
- CBSE-based syllabus: For major entrance exams, seats for such programs are open to all students in India. Students from state boards get more reserved places at colleges that are part of state institutions. Students from the CBSE board who fail to pass entrance exams have a difficult time getting into state university campuses since the CBSE board quota is limited.
- Some schools charge higher school fees.
- In the world of arts and literature, there isn’t enough variety or possibilities.
Examination pattern
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
(CISCE)
The CISCE is a private organisation that is recognised by the Indian constitution as a non-governmental body of school education. It began as a national alternative to the school systems of the United Kingdom and the United States. In India and overseas, ICSE is associated with about 2300 schools. The board’s certifications are accepted by Indian universities and colleges, as well as worldwide educational organisations. The ICSE curriculum emphasises math and science, but it also includes languages, arts, and humanities. This course is meant to offer students practical knowledge and analytical skills necessary for their overall growth.
- The course curriculum is comprehensive, covering a wide range of topics in order to examine students’ entire development.
- CISCE: More practical knowledge and a greater emphasis on analytical abilities.
- Students have the option of choosing a topic based on their personal preferences.
- Students are encouraged to pick their subject or themes, with equal emphasis on science and art languages.
- The syllabus may be too much for certain students.
- It would be difficult for students to transfer to other boards or Pre-Science institutions (11-12 standards).
- Fee structure that is more expensive.
- The prospectus for Major Entrance Exams is based on CISCE, which means that places for such programmes are accessible to all students in India. Additionally, institutions that are affiliated with state universities have a greater number of places reserved for understudies from state institutions. As a result, undergraduates from the CISCE board who do not pass the selection examinations may have difficulty obtaining affirmation at in-state colleges because to the CISCE Board’s limited number of seats.
Examination pattern
The Council conducts three types of examinations: –
National Institute of Open Schooling
(NIOS)
The board of education of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is a self-governing organisation under the Ministry of Education (MOE). The NIOS provides life enrichment, vocational, and community-oriented courses for secondary level students. NIOS enrolls over 3,50,000 students each year, making it one of the largest open schooling programmes in the world. Through its Open Basic Education (OBE) programme, it also offers elementary level courses as well as vocational training to children under the age of 14 and individuals above the age of 14 who are entitled to take the exams. NIOS strives to promote open education on a national and international level, as well as to enhance the Open and Distance Learning system via research and development.
- There is no requirement to attend regular classes.
- Subject selection flexibility
- The syllabus is nearly the same as CBSE.
- Students who have dropped out of school due to a situation or cause can resume their studies.
- Students will have to wait for replies to their inquiries until their weekly lectures or other sources of information.
- The quantity of interaction between instructors and students is limited.
- The query resolution center is a major flaw.
- Due to a lack of a proper information dissemination mechanism, students confront several challenges.
Examination pattern
International General Certificate of Secondary Education
(IGCSE)
Cambridge International Education, which is affiliated with the University of Cambridge, administers the IGCSE and AS & A Level exams. IGCSE is often regarded as the world’s largest provider of educational programmes. Cambridge International is linked with almost 10,000 schools in 160 countries throughout the world. CIE graduates are accepted in universities in the United Kingdom (including Oxford and Cambridge), the United States (including all Ivy League schools), Canada, the European Union, the Middle East and West Asia, and India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The aim is to be as inclusive as possible to students from a wide variety of linguistic backgrounds.
- The International Board is recognised by the majority of universities across the world.
- Students might apply to foreign universities that do not recognise the CBSE or ICSE boards.
- The sophisticated curriculum and the wide range of disciplines available.
- There will be a greater emphasis on English and technical subjects.
- If your parents choose to relocate to another country, this is the best alternative.
- The fee is prohibitively expensive.
- Only major cities or metropolitan cities have schools.
- It’s difficult for students to switch boards if they wish to go to another one.
- Textbooks are few, and classes are difficult to get to.
Examination pattern
International Baccalaureate
(IB)
The IB curriculum is designed to help students build abilities that will enable them to grow and develop as successful persons, as well as better learners and people. It provides children ages 3 to 19 with high-quality, rigorous educational programmes. Over 5500 schools in 159 countries participate in the IB. Language and knowledge acquisition, language and literature, persons and society, creativity and service, arts and mathematics are all notions that the curriculum is based on. Through the programmes, students are taught to think critically, ask the proper questions, and challenge themselves to think outside their field. The International Baccalaureate strives to cultivate inquisitive, informed, and compassionate young people who, through international understanding and respect, contribute to the creation of a better and more peaceful world.
- IB is recognised by the majority of universities throughout the world.
- Students might apply to foreign universities that do not recognise the CBSE or ICSE boards.
- UNESCO has given it its seal of approval.
- The syllabus is built on experimental approaches.
- The schools’ infrastructure is well-managed.
- The majority of non-resident Indian parents, expatriate community members in India, or children wish to continue their education outside of India.
- The fee is higher than those charged by other programmes.
- These schools can only be located in major cities.
- It’s difficult for students to switch boards if they desire to study in another Indian state.
- Textbooks are hard to come to buy.
Examination pattern
State Boards
Every state in India has a department of education that administers board exams for grades 10 and 12, and each state has its own board that follows its own syllabus and grading system. This course is beneficial to students preparing for state-level engineering and medical admission exams since it concentrates on themes of regional importance and information relevant to their local area. In comparison to other boards, the syllabus is frequently small. The major goal of the state education boards are to provide children with access to education in both urban and rural regions where the regional language is mandatory.
- Admission to this Board is simple; texts and professors are both readily available.
- Totally reliant on the state government’s ability to sustain educational quality.
- The quality of instruction differs with the school.
- It’s possible that you won’t have all of the essential amenities.
Examination pattern
The final verdict
When choosing a school board, it is better if the student determines which one best meets their needs. IB is the place to be if you enjoy trying new things and asking a lot of questions to figure out why something happens. If you enjoy improving your whole personality while completing tough textbook issues, ICSE may be the board for you. If you need to pass an examination to apply to a university or a certain field of work in India, CBSE and its math-based methodologies may be useful. International Boards may be expensive. The cost of the training programme provided by the boards must be borne by the schools, resulting in higher fees. Students who want to work for the government or whose parents work for the government and are constantly transferred should prefer CBSE. Students who want to attend state government colleges should prefer to study the state syllabus and people who wish to go abroad should prefer International Boards.
