A school is a place designed to provide us with learning spaces, learning environments, ethics, and self improvisation, guided by the teachers.
Schools have different sections based on the Class, i.e., primary school, secondary school, and senior secondary school. An institution where higher education is taught is usually known as a college or university.
Schools in India follow a particular system i.e., it has four levels: lower primary (age 6 to 10), upper primary (11 and 12), high (13 to 15), and higher secondary (17 and 18). The lower primary school is divided into five “standards”, upper primary school into two, high school into three, and higher secondary into two. Students have to learn a common curriculum largely (except for regional changes in mother tongue) till the end of high school. There is some amount of specialization at the higher secondary level. Students throughout the country have to learn three languages (namely, English, Hindi, and their mother tongue) except in regions where Hindi is the mother tongue and in some streams as discussed below.
School Education Boards in India
There are various boards where one can choose for schooling, these are:
- State Education Boards
- Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
- Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE)
- Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE)
- National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
State Education Board –
Schools in a particular state are governed by the State Education Board.
Features
- Follow a State-based program and syllabus.
- The main local language is usually followed as a medium of instruction.
- State Boards conduct Primary and mid-level examinations. Many boards usually conduct examinations only for Secondary Examinations, i.e. 10th and 12th grades.
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
The national level board is followed by a large no. of private as well as public schools across the country. The Board administers exams for both private and regular students. Candidates seeking to follow distance learning can register for admissions and apply for assessments. After grade 10, CBSE provides its students with a range of subjects in the areas of Science, Commerce, and Humanities. Upon completing Class 12, students can apply to multiple universities for higher education.
Features
CBSE Board is typically perceived to be easier than the State Education Boards or the other Education Boards in India due to the grading system.
- Primary students (grades 1–5) study vocabulary and social progress.
- Grade 6–10 high school students pursue science, mathematics, English, and supplementary languages. Art, dance as well as other activities are all part of the course.
- Conducts two exams—the Grade 10 All India Secondary School Examination and the Grade 12 All India Senior School Certificate Examination.
- Continuous Comprehensive Assessment (CCE) from Grade 6 to 10 also has commenced. The goal is to assess students during the entire year instead of a standard examination at the conclusion of each year.
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE)
The Council for Indian School Certificate Examination is a private school board in India. The goal of this Board is to conduct a basic education analysis, in compliance with the suggestions of the New Education Policy 1986 (India), through the English medium. Applicants appearing for the exam must study six subjects, with one to three papers per subject. This makes up a total of eight to eleven papers, based mostly on subjects. The tests of ICSE select the most suitable five out of six subjects. However, English markings are obligatory and are carried out comprehensively.
Features
- The ICSE Board focuses on the all-round development of the student.
- The ICSE curriculum provides equal emphasis to all subjects and also provides versatility in the selection of particular subjects.
- ICSE also includes fair weighting for languages, arts, and humanities. This makes for a much more integrated, balanced, and comprehensive learning.
- Its use of English as a means of teaching reflects on the development of language proficiency.
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE)
CISCE is a privately run national Education Board in India that governs the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) as well as the Indian School Certificate (ISC) for classes starting from 10 and 12 respectively. It was formed in 1958. Over 2,100 schools in India and abroad are associated with the CISCE. Each year, in February and March, the Council holds assessments for Classes 10 and 12. The Board administers exams for regular students exclusively. The key goal of ICSE is to offer high-quality education to the students via a rational approach. This Education Board in India allows students to choose amongst different streams/subjects for Class 12 by placing equal emphasis on science, humanities, and language courses, particularly English. The above ICSE syllabus also comes under the CISCE board.
Features
- CISCE lays huge emphasis on tasks instead of on text learning, which is more practical and application-based than CBSE.
- It relies more on language and the arts.
- The CISCE Board offers a wider range and a greater selection of subjects than CBSE
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
It is one of India’s many student-friendly education Boards in India. It is child-centric and helps the student to make choices on what to learn, how to learn, and when to learn. The NIOS is a national board that holds secondary and post-secondary exams comparable to the CBSE as well as the CISCE. It also provides a college education after secondary school. NIOS currently enrolls nearly 3,50,000 students annually, making it one of the largest open school facilities in India. NIOS holds panel reviews twice per year in March/April and September/October.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
The schools of the IB are deemed prestigious, at the same period costly. It is a privately-run multinational academic organization with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It has three major programs: the Primary Year KG to Class 5, the Middle Year Program for Class 6 to Class 10, and the Graduation Program for Class 11 and Class 12.
This Education Board in India is accessible in 144 countries and around 3500 schools and educational institutions globally. The IB Board provides an opportunity for students in academic institutions to apply to other universities without a number of additional examinations. The curriculum means teaching critical skills, vocabulary, arts, and humanities. Here, topics are taught in an interconnected manner to prevent a fractured approach. Usually, IB is favoured by parents of students who’ve been planning to travel internationally.
Features
- PYP (until age 11) incorporates Algebra, Physics, natural sciences, and languages.
- MYP (ages 11–16) has 8 content classes, namely languages, Physics, Mathematics, Arts, and Architecture. Students have to have a minimum of 50 hours of instruction in each study cohort and a specific assignment.
- DP (aged 16–19) consists of three main modules: a thesis article, a critical thought project called information theory) and the youth service.
- PYP depends on a school-based internal evaluation. When it comes to MYP, each study category uses 4 indicators to identify the pupil’s performance in the topic. The grades of the 4 indicators are applied and updated to a grade of 7. DP is based on a point scale, with 45 being the highest point you can get.
Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
Formed in 1858, CIE offers international credentials to 10,000 school systems in 160 countries. Cambridge International Exams offers globally accredited certificates and examinations in more than 150 countries around the world. CIE credentials are accepted for entry by UK universities (including Oxford and Cambridge), the United States (All-Ivy League Universities), Canada, the European Union, the Middle East, West Asia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It is also one of the highly preferred Education Boards in India.
Features
- Instructional methods are incredibly useful for children to learn and develop in a particular way.
- A major benefit of CIE is that it promotes creativity at a higher level, encouraging the student to understand outside classrooms.
- Instructors are supplied with a lot of resources that support them, making studying especially fun for learners. Primary and secondary students can take the Main Stage exams at Cambridge. The key examinations, however, are the IGCSE, the AS level, and the A level exams.
Read more about schools and tuitions in India