The Essential Guide to Education Boards in India

Published in

First Crayon

9 min readDec 8, 2017

Introduction

CBSE, IB, IGCSE, oh my! How is a parent to choose between all these? Over the last few years, many new education systems have become popular in India. Most of today’s parents studied in state boards (eg. SSC or PSEB), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE). To them, these new boards can often seem confusing. The boards have also changed their curriculums over the years. To help you choose what’s best for your kids, here is a guide on school boards in India.

Comparison of boards across India

Source: Education board websites, expert inputs, First Crayon analysis

State boards

Each state across India has its own Board of Education that sets the curriculum for the schools under it. At last count, there were 52 state sanctioned boards in India [1]. For example, West Bengal is home to six different boards: Board of Madrasah Education, Board of Primary Education, Board of Secondary Education, Council of Higher Secondary Education, Council of Rabindra Open Schooling, and State Council of Vocational Education and Training.

The largest number of schools in India are affiliated to various state boards. Over 1.3 crore students gave the various state board exams in 2017 [2]. These state boards cater to students of all skill levels by establishing a minimum base. While each state board has a distinct character, they share some similarities.

Note: Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary logo

Characteristics:

Tend to follow rote based curriculum
Usually teach in or include the state language as part of their curriculum
May hold exams at the primary and mid level. Most state boards tend to hold only secondary exams, i.e at the 10th and 12th grade

Preferred by:

Aspirants of civil services exam
Children inclined towards sports or like activities since the workload is relatively light
Parents who wish for their child to continue studying until college degree near home
Parents who wish for their child to integrate with local culture and language
Parents who wish to pay relatively affordable fees [3] [4]

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

Headquartered in Delhi, CBSE is one of the oldest education boards in India since 1962. The board reports to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) [5]. As of July 2017, the Board has 19,316 schools in India and 211 schools in 25 foreign countries. These schools include 14,860 independent schools, 2,734 government/ aided schools, 1,118 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 590 Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalayas, and 14 Central Tibetan Schools [6]. All put together, over 11 lakh children gave the CBSE board exams in 2017 [2].

Characteristics:

Follows a rote based curriculum
Usually considered tougher than the State Boards
Primary students (grade 1–5) learn language and social development
Secondary students (grade 6–10) learn science, maths, social science, literature, information technology, English, and a secondary language
Music, dance, and other arts are also included in the curriculum
Conducts two exams — the All India Secondary School Examination for grade 10, and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination for grade 12
It has also started Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) from Grade 6 to 10. These aim to test students throughout the year rather than a single exam at the end of the year [7][8]

Preferred by:

Aspirants for medical or engineering exams, such as the AIEEE
Parents whose careers need them to move around India since it is easier to change schools
Children who want to study in the CBSE schools abroad. Teaching styles may differ between countries
Parents who want a middle ground in terms of affordability between state boards and IB/ICSE

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE)

Established in 1958, the CISCE issues the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE). The Council is a non governmental, private institution. It started as a national alternative to the British and American systems. It operates as a kindergarten to Grade 12 program.

Characteristics:

Places emphasis on projects rather than text learning and is more application based than CBSE
Gives more focus to language and arts [9]
Provides more flexibility and a wider variety of subjects than CBSE
Primary students learn English, maths, science, social studies, computer studies and environmental studies
From grade 9, students must take seven subjects including four compulsory ones — English, history & civics, geography and an Indian language. Three optional ones are chosen from two groups with science-oriented or art-oriented subjects
In Grade 11 and 12, English is compulsory with 4–6 subjects more as choices. These choices include subjects from humanities, sciences, maths, languages, and arts
Conducts two exams — the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) for Grade 10 and the Indian Secondary Certificate (ISC) for Grade 12. However, final marks depend on external exams as well as internal exams carried out by the school [10] [11] [12]

Preferred by:

Children who learn better with practice than theory
Children who enjoy arts and language
Parents whose careers need them to move around India or abroad since it is easier to change schools
Parents who want their children to study abroad as it is certified by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
Parents who want a more affordable yet international option as compared to CIE [4]

National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)

Established in 1989, The NIOS started as an open school i.e a student can study remotely. It is used as an education system for children and adults. The goal was to increase access to education in remote areas. It also has centres in certain international countries, such as the USA, Malaysia and the UAE [12]. With 350,000 students per year, it the largest open schooling system in the world [13] [14].

Characteristics:

Open Basic Education (OBE) covers primary education equal to class 3 to 8. This covers basic maths, environmental science and computer skills
In grade 10, subjects are chosen from 2 basic groups with at least five subjects and a language.
In grade 12, more options are provided in commerce, science and humanities. These are further divided into five groups, with students picking one or two out of each group
The Board also offers vocational (trade) training [14]
The Board takes the OBE exams as well as the two main exams — Secondary and Higher Secondary
Students can take up to five years to complete their exams [15]

Preferred by:

Students from remote locations
Students who wish to complete their education later in life
Students who would like to study in a self-paced environment

Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)

Established in 1858, CIE is a provider of international qualifications to 10,000 schools in 160 countries. CIE qualifications are recognised for admission by UK universities (including Oxford and Cambridge), United States (All Ivy League universities), Canada, European Union, Middle East, West Asia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. [15] [16].

Characteristics:

At the primary level (ages 5–11), focus is on English, maths and science
At secondary level (ages 11–14) concepts are expanded in these basic subjects
Students move to the IGCSE curriculum where subjects are divided into 5 groups: languages, humanities, sciences, maths and creative, technical & vocational. Languages include foreign languages which may be tested as first or second languages
After this, students move on to the AS level (a one year course) or their A Level (2 year course). AS Level may be extended into A Level. Students are offered 55 subjects and may study them in any combination. These are equal to Grade 11 and 12 in India. But some countries abroad consider an AS level equal to high school qualification
Primary and secondary students may give Key Stage exams by Cambridge. But the main exams are the IGCSE, the AS Level and the A Level [17] [18] [19] [20]

Preferred by:

Children who learn better with practice than theory
Parents looking to move abroad or send their children abroad to study
Parents willing to pay a higher price for an international education

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Founded in 1968, IB was created to provide an international program for diplomats’ children. It is run by a not for profit, International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), based in Geneva. The curriculum is divided into Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP), and the Diploma Program (DP). At every stage, the program is concept based and encourages questions [22].

Characteristics:

PYP (until age 11) teaches maths, sciences, social sciences, and languages
MYP (ages 11–16) has 8 subject groups including languages, science, maths, art, and design. Students must cover at least 50 hours of teaching in each subject group and a practical project
DP (ages 16–19) includes three core modules: a research essay, a critical thinking project (called theory of knowledge), and social work [23] [24] [25]
PYP relies on internal assessment depending on the school. When it comes to MYP, each subject group uses 4 markers to grade a student’s ability in the subject. The scores of the 4 markers are added up and changed to a grade out of 7. DP is based on a points system, with 45 being the highest point one can get

Preferred by:

Students who want to excel in critical thinking
Students who can cope with difficult coursework
Students looking to go overseas, or with parents that have jobs which may take them abroad
Parents who are willing to pay high fees

The importance of choosing early

Life may throw some surprises, but a good plan can manage their effects. Children change but their learning styles are stable over time. While not stated upfront, most boards have a preferred teaching style. Parents should be aware of how each board fits in with their child’s strengths. If you have a child prodigy in the house, wouldn’t you want to give them the right environment to grow? Choosing the relevant board will also help in managing changes between playschool, kindergarten, school, college, undergrad, and graduation. Phew! Some of these changes can be tough on a child. As a parent, you can make this journey a lot easier on everyone involved by your timely decisions.

Concluding thoughts

None of this is to say one system is better than the other. Instead, parents should look at all the possible options and make the best decision depending on their situation. Flexibility, ability, and career options are important — and so is budgeting. Remember — your little future doctor or artist is building their foundation now!

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The Essential Guide to Education Boards in India

Introduction

Comparison of boards across India

State boards

Characteristics:

Preferred by:

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

Characteristics:

Preferred by:

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE)

Characteristics:

Preferred by:

National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)

Characteristics:

Preferred by:

Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)

Characteristics:

Preferred by:

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Characteristics:

Preferred by:

The importance of choosing early

Concluding thoughts

References:

Written by Sid Jain