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The books one needs to carry, the amount of homework given, the extra-curricular activities, the working hours, etc depend on individual school policy. We weren't required to carry our textbooks to school in our higher classes. The other books that were needed everyday I used to leave in school anyway. And we weren't given much homework.

Hope you find the right school for your kid :)

First thing, ICSE is 2 years i.e. 9th and 10th, anything below that is just based on the schools method.

IMO ICSE is better if you don't look at it as a choice.

ISC i.e. Std 11 & 12, is a bit advanced. BUT, at the end of the day you come out as a world class student.

PLEASE DON'T put this "Difficult" concept in your kids minds, things could be "Complex", but saying things are difficult is another way of saying someone is stupid.

You mean by syllabus standards?

Having lived and studied in both urban and rural, I can tell you that it is the individual schools and teachers that make the difference, than the syllabus. My son has attended both ISCE and CBSE schools in Udupi district, which is one of the academically top performing district in Karnataka. But the teaching standard was way below the state syllabus teachers I used to have in Bangalore. But when he moved from Manipal to Bangalore while staying in CBSE, the teaching standard took a major leap. I too studied in Government highschool in a village before moving to a private school in Bangalore, within state syllabus. Major difference in quality.

However, if the kid is enterprising, none of this will matter. My first cousin is a good example. His dad was in PWD, who mostly served in remote villages. Until 5th grade my cousin went to Kannada medium government schools that didn't even have tables and benches. He used to sit on cement ground whole day. The teaching quality was so dismal, he was becoming a typical village bum. My uncle got concerned and sent him to live us in Bangalore. He continued in Kannada medium through 6th and 7th grade at Jayanagar government primary school. Finally he entered English medium starting 8th grade, at Jeevan Bhima Nagar Government High school. Getting seat was always easy for him since there was no rush to join government school. Private schools wouldn't accommodate somebody coming from government Kannada medium school. Switch to English was a shocker, he used to cry a lot since he didn't understand anything. My mom used to spend lot of time tutoring him in English. My mom has only studied from 3rd to 8th grade, that too in Kannada medium, but she had practice since used to tutor my brother and I. Finally, he adjusted and completed highschool in 1992. Only then he joined a private college, followed by engineering. Now he runs his own company in Singapore, with even a branch in India. Nobody can suspect he didn't have his world class education.:)

20% in terms of syllabus standards, 80% of it due to the attitude & IQ developed while studying.

Very true. Many of us have come across a few intellectual people with such a caliber, but aim is to try the general logical way. My cousin studied CS in BITS-Goa, having learnt abit of everything during his ISC, he managed to complete a Dual-Degree course offered there in 3 years with full scholarship! He's a normal guy who takes interest in studies, not stress.

So, interest in subject matters and that shows in the exams. Putting the effort is more important a lesson than simply scoring. Attitude & soft skills matter MUCH more and THATS what gets built depending on the school.

There is an unfortunate rat-race that is created among parents looking for their children's admission and a kind of psyche has been formed by which state board schooled students are now deemed as inferior to those in the central boards. This affects the parents who are now reluctant to send their children to state school boards.

Let us roll back the clock a bit. Most of us who are in the 35+ age group have mostly been schooled by state boards and we have turned out all right. So, why this sudden interest in certain boards. Also remember, we were brought up in an environment devoid of the internet or Discovery channel and our only source of knowledge on a particular topic was our textbook. Today we have information practically on our fingertips.

I think our criteria on selecting a school, should be the same as it was with us decades ago - namely, the quality of teaching, the extra-curricular and sporting activities, the general levels of discipline and finally the convenience of access. Also, I believe that there should be some level of home-schooling by which parents are aware of what is taught in the subjects and "learn" with their children by inculcating the habit of discovery and understanding rather than forcing the child to memorise. Parents should be a bit more active in the PTA committees as this is the best platform for parents and teachers to discuss improvement in instruction. A good teacher and a good parent make a board incidental as far as education is concerned.

I second this statement wholeheartedly. My wife and I are capable of providing whatever intellectual / academic input is required and I'm pretty sure we'll do a better job of teaching my daughter concepts than any school can. What we send her to school for is to pick up stuff we cannot provide - like social behaviour, how to interact with her peer group, how to get along with others, that sort of thing.

Does anyone have any idea on the below pls?

• Does CBSE have any restriction on any of the fee imposed by schools? Reason to ask is, different CBSE affiliated schools follow different pattern on fee structure which has impact on the overall school fee
• And, is it mandatory that all CBSE schools has to have the same study pattern? What I mean is, in terms of...
  • Homework load
  • Same text books
  • And, these days I too many activities/project than the actual syllabus (which is super diluted from what it used to be in 80's)? Are these also prescribed by CBSE syllabus or does it keep varying from school to school?

Any reply on the context or guidance to where such info can be obtained is appreciated. Thanks

I am bumping this thread now - I am not sure why it has been left dormant for more than 1 year. Has everything about boards been already discussed? :) I hope not.

My kid will be going into a bigger school (hopefully we can get an admission somewhere after trying for the last two years). Now the target is to get him into Std. I in a big school.

Question was about IB: I have not come across anyone with first hand experience on how a child goes for college in Indian universities after completing 10 years in an IB school. Does he have relevant knowledge to 'compete'?
At the moment, it seems getting admissions in IB school is easier (though financially they are a bad choice, since they are two-three times more expensive that ICSE/ CBSE schools).

I do understand from earlier discussions that ICSE board is study, study and more study, whereas CBSE is a little lesser study and State board is the least amount of pressure.
Not sure, where IB fits into this.

Any Mallus:

Kerala state syllabus or CBSE is best?

CBSE and State uses the same NCERT text books the only difference is in the pattern of questions and in the awarding of marks. CBSE in most schools would have a better standard of education and a little more stringent evaluation. Both syllabuses award grace marks for extra curricular activities but SSLC would help your child get more marks. Getting A+ for each and every subject for the boards is piece of cake for an above average student even if they don't disappear behind the books burning midnight oil, provided they are attentive and can keep track of the concepts taught in school each day. Same is the case with CBSE but pattern of questions is different. At the end of the day, syllabuses don't make much difference, it is the school atmosphere, teachers and peers that matter and only they have the potential to mold a child's character apart from family.

Cannot explain any further without knowing much about the child's age and current syllabus. Feel free to ask as my cousins and siblings are following either of the 3 syllabuses.

Off topic : I just did my 12 boards. ICSE from KG onwards:Frustrati. Unless you want your child to learn Shakespearean english and JAVA from class 8 or unless he/she is an aspiring engineer/doctor(from IIT/NIT/AIIMS etc) acquiring in depth knowledge at the cost of a stress-free teenage dont choose it. SSLC is preffered if your child wants to go for engineering in Kerala itself.

Yes, he is just in UKG now.:)
I am sending him now to a nearby CBSE school. I did my schooling in State syllabus only. My cousin suggests to send to CBSE till 8th and then switch over. But I want him to continue in 1 school from LKG-12th.
Amrita vidyalayam is a good school here but 6 kms far. So sending nearby which is just 2kms. Later I might shift to Amrita. But what I heard is they have some regulations which many parents do not like. Not sure what they are. People are not openly telling. I generally get a mixed response whenever I ask to someone.

But you said it right. It all depends on the teachers and how the kid grasps.
What is the procedure to evaluate if teachers are good or not?:)

If your son is in UKG you needn't worry at all. You can go ahead and place him in either CBSE or State. You do not have to necessarily keep him in one school or syllabus from 1-12th. What really matters is that he is in a stable position by 8th grade, latest by 9th grade. gKrish above has got the bullseye in pointing out the differences between State Board and CBSE however syllabi should not matter for your son at this age. It is only when he gets to 8th that it should be of concern. That is when marks, rankings, and grades start playing a major role. Until then, it is the school, atmosphere, teachers, and exposures that will help mold him. Be sure to not move him at that time. Although the adaptability of everyone is unique, it would rather be difficult for the child if he shifts at that time of life (I moved from IGCSE to State Board after 10th and I had many bridges to overcome as a consequence).

In my opinion, CBSE is of greater quality in terms of examination unlike State Boards. Considering the unfortunate events of this year in the Karnataka PU Board which included the cancellation and delay of two exams, I would recommend CBSE over State Board to anyone as it is nationalized. However, content wise, the two syllabi are quite identical. It is just the exams that are divergent.

All the best.

About me: I have just completed my 12th in Karnataka State Board. I have studied several syllabi including CBSE, IGCSE, etc.

TEAM-BHP is for every thing!! Was googling up on NIOS and came across this. I came across this academy through a family friend

http://www.smartedu.co.in/

The academy uses NIOS but elevates the education level by combining the best of CBSE, ICSE, etc. Provides 8:30 to 4:30 tutoring environment - Monday to friday.

Any of the chennai BHPians have experience with this "academy"?

Are there similar academies anywhere else in India. I met with the Prof KK Anand. He mentions the concept is well set in US but not in India.

A very delayed bump to navin's question. It's time for my son's school admission, with decent International school options here in tvm, and feeback from my friends is
CBSE - Good for entrance exams, not much else
International boards - Good if you are planning to send your kids abroad for higher education, creativity, slower pace of learning, not much else
ICSE - Decent compromise between the two. I studied in ICSE, and am inclined to send my son to ICSE. While i want to best for him, I am pretty sure I may not be able to send him abroad, and the fees are sky high, so not keen on taking a risk with education

I think a good mix is ICSE+HSC for anyone looking to study locally and ICSE till 7th grade and IB from 8th to 12th for those looking to send their kids to the US. Those looking at UK can replace the IB with A levels.