Syllabus of CBSE Schools or Syllabus of ICSE Schools: Which One Is Better

School Boards in India

Befitting the manifold diversity which distinguishes India, children and their parents here can choose from a wide range of schooling options. There are many school boards in India; for example CBSE, state boards (like WBBSE, or West Bengal Board of Secondary Education) ICSE Boardand so on. Schooling in India usually begins from Class I, and sometimes even before that in the Kindergarten levels; though it is the secondary (Class V to Class X) and Higher Secondary or Plus Two (Class XI-XII) levels that matter most in deciding the future of a student. Naturally, students as well as guardians are often keen to choose the best school board in India.

Teaching in school boards in India is a three-tire programme based on teaching approaches, teaching methods and teaching practices.

1. Approaches are generalised theories like the Communicative Approach, the Traditional Approach and so on.

2. Teaching methods are concrete structure based on the abstract approaches; most know of them are the Direct Method, the Situational Method, the Audio-lingual Method and so on.

3. Teaching practices are the innumerable classroom applications based on those approaches and methods.

Both CBSE schools and ICSE schools, as well as other school boards in India, prepare their syllabi by choosing something and omitting the rest from this wide range of approaches, methods and practices available. Clearly, there are some similarities and some differences between the syllabus of CBSE Schools and the Syllabus of ICSE Schools.

Therefore, we see, there are some advantages of CBSE and in some other cases advantages of ICSE. Hence, nobody can assert that one of them is just outstanding and the other is complete nonsense. Instead, it should be the situation, requirement and other criteria about the student concerned which should decide whether to go for the CBSE Syllabus or the ICSE Syllabus.

Nevertheless, in the admission seasons, whether CBSE or ICSE is best becomes the most important question for the students and their guardians. Before we proceed into a further and more comprehensible discussion on the matter, we must know the basic outlines of CBSE syllabus and ICSE syllabus.

What Is CBSE and What Is ICSE

In technical sense, ISCE and CBSE cannot be related and compared together due to the category error; in simple words they are not similar things. CBSE, or Central Board of Secondary Education, is a school board fairly popular among the school boards in India. CBSE conducts two examinations; namely All India Secondary School Examination or AISSE in the 10th standard and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination AISSCE in the 12th standard.

ICSE, or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, on the other hand, is a 10th standard examination taken by Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, popularly known as CISCE. ICSE, held by CISCE, is the equivalent examination of AISSE, held by CBSE. On the other hand, the equivalent examination of AISSCE, held by CBSE, is Indian School Certificate or ISC, held by CISCE. Take a glance below if this sounds complicated.

School Board: CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education)
• Examination held at the 10th standard: All India Secondary School Examination, or AISSE.
• Examination held at the 12th standard: All India Senior School Certificate Examination, or AISSCE.

School Board: CISSE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination)
• Examination held at the 10th standard: Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, or ICSE.
• Examination held at the 12th standard: Indian School Certificate, or ISC.

Nevertheless, in common use, the board CBSE and the examination AISSE are both referred to as CBSE; and similarly, the board CISSE and the examination ICSE are both referred to as ICSE. Henceforth in this discussion, we will use these terms in their usual broader meanings.

Differences between CBSE and ICSE

There are some major differences between the CBSE curriculum and the ICSE curriculum.

1. Language of Instruction in CBSE curriculum and ICSE curriculum
The most important difference between CBSE and ICSE is the language of instruction. While CBSE approves both English and Hindi as the language of instruction in classrooms, CISSE approves English only and there is no place for Hindi in it.

2. Recognition of CBSE and ICSE
The second difference between ICSE and CBSE is that CBSE is recognised by the Government of India and ICSE is not.

3. Syllabus of CBSE schools and Syllabus of ICSE schools
CBSE students are said to do better in competitive examinations. CBSE syllabus aims at objective knowledge which is tested in the competitive examinations. ICSE is rather broad and is better for doing graduation, since in the graduation level we need to broaden our concepts. Thus, a student from a CBSE school will probably do better in the English paper in a competitive examination, while a student from an ICSE school will be more ready to take up English honours in the graduation courses and will have better chances to succeed there. The aim of the student in life should therefore decide whether to get admitted in CBSE schools or in ICSE schools.

4. Environmental Education
Following the Supreme Court of India, a compulsory environmental education has been added to the ICSE syllabus. On the other hand, the CBSE syllabus has no such environmental education in its course.

Benefits of CBSE syllabus over ICSE syllabus

There are some advantages of CBSE. Students who look for these things in the school boards of India should go for the CBSE syllabus.

1. Credibility
The first thing is that since it is recognised by the Government of India, it has a better credibility in the Indian subcontinent, often also outside it.

2. Easier Syllabus
CBSE has only one English paper, one science paper, and one paper in social studies. On the other hand, a ICSE student has to read two papers in English, three different science papers (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and two for the social sciences (History and Geography). The CBSE syllabus is naturally easier to learn and remember for the students than the ICSE syllabus.

3. Entrance Examination Friendly
The pattern of the entrance examinations like PMT and IIT-JEE are based on the CBSE syllabus since CBSE takes all these examinations. Students from the CBSE curriculum therefore do not require taking any special preparation, while those from the ICSE syllabus need to adapt themselves to the different atmosphere of the CBSE curriculum.

4. Competitive Examination Friendly
The CBSE syllabus is objective and easier, hence quite student friendly. Its objective nature helps CBSE students in the competitive examinations. If one does not like to be a professor and wants a clerkship in a bank, he or she will not need to overburden his or her brain with huge syllabi in the CBSE curriculum. Hence, students of CBSE schools usually do better in the competitive examinations.

5. Scientific Approach of the CBSE Syllabus
The CBSE syllabus is more scientific and focused in its approach. The whole syllabus of CBSE is divided into shorter units. Every unit then has been allotted a certain number of classes or periods. This is also followed in some state boards like that of the West Bengal. Thus, both the student and the teacher can plan the course better, segment by segment, in the CBSE curriculum. The CBSE syllabus is better than the ICSE syllabus in this aspect.

6. Focus on Physical Skills in the CBSE Syllabus
The CBSE curriculum includes physical extra curricular activities like indoor and outdoor games and sports. It has a wide network both in the state level and in the national level.

Benefits of ICSE syllabus over CBSE syllabus

There are some advantages of ICSE. Students who look for these things in the school boards of India should go for the ICSE syllabus.

1. Skip Bridge Courses
The first advantage is that it is well recognised by a number of foreign educational institutions. It is considered equivalent to the highest examinations of the secondary school outside India. Hence, a student from the CISSE curriculum, clearing ICSE or ISC, can skip the bridge courses and tests while applying for a plus two course abroad or for the graduation in a foreign college. Nevertheless, UCAS nowadays recognised CBSE just like ICSE.

2. Detailed Syllabus, Good for Future Academicians
The syllabus of ICSE schools is much elaborated than the syllabus of CBSE schools. For example, ICSE offers two papers in English, three different science papers (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and two for the social sciences (History and Geography). On the other hand, CBSE has only one English paper, one science paper, and one paper in social studies. Thus, ICSE provides the students with a more detailed knowledge. ICSE is therefore good for taking up honours in graduation courses and become future academicians, working right from the school level to the university levels. ICSE students have better depths in various subjects, while most of the CBSE students lack this due to the short syllabus.

3. ICSE Develops Communication Skills
The ICSE curriculum includes intellectual extra curricular activities like essay writing competitions and debate competitions, both in the state level and in the national level. It also encourages group discussions, class debates and other such things which certainly develop and enhance the communication skills and soft skills of the students of the ICSE schools.

4. Better English
English is undoubtedly the global language today (even you are reading this in English!) and ICSE syllabus focuses more on it than the CBSE syllabus. Students of the ICSE syllabus have better reading and writing competences in English than those of the CBSE syllabus. Hence, they do not usually face communication problems or other kind of troubles anywhere. Personally, I have seen some CBSE students who were very good on their respective fields of study, but could not clear interviews as questions were asked there in English, and situations demanded good English conversational skills.

CBSE or ICSE: A Final Suggestion

Schooling in India is often, most unfortunately, defined objectively and not according to subjective necessities. This has been said more than once before that choosing an option from the various school boards in India, whether ICSE or CBSE, or any other board, completely depends on the choice, needs and other circumstances of the student concerned. Take a look at the pros and the cons of both the schools, and go for the one you like. Still, here are some generalised suggestions:

1. Go for ICSE if you want to be an academician like a school teacher, a lecturer, reader, or professor, a research fellow, a scientist, a scholar or something like these.

2. Go for CBSE if you want to clear competitive examinations like Joint Entrance Examination or JEE. Also, it will help later in job seeking examinations like those of PSC, railways, various banks, clerical offices and so on.

3. Go for CBSE if you want to be a sportsperson. CBSE will give you better chances to enhance your skills.

4. Opt for ICSE if you want to be a writer, a freelancer, a newsperson and the like.

5. Always go for ICSE to avoid bridge course if you have an aim to study abroad.

Nevertheless, these are much generalised suggestions only. It is always better to take opinions from expert career councillors to judge the abilities, merits and chances of the students concerned before hasting into a decision. This is a decision on which the entire future career will depend. Therefore, make a wise choice!