Some years ago, we had organised a Maths quiz on Ramanujam’s birthday for class 9-10 students. After it was over, a gentleman approached me..

The quiz was really good – I want my son to participate too!

How can he prepare for it?

Are there any books you recommend?

Is there any special training or workshop for this?

I think this will help him do well in the Board Exams too, right?

Oh! Actually he is only is class 1 now, but I am very keen he should start preparing!

Background

About the Different Boards

Comparative Analysis

Some Recommendations

Question – Answer Session

Studied in Calcutta and Delhi in ICSE and CBSE Schools, then IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad

Our school principal became chairman of CBSE…

Co-founded Eklavya School and Eklavya Institute of Teacher Education in 1996

Co-founded Educational Initiatives in 2001 – to promote ‘learning with understanding’

Different studies which indirectly compared the performance of different Boards

Work with about 1500 schools and 18 state governments on assessments and learning

Examination Reform Committee Member, Gujarat Govt, 2010

sridhar@ei-india.com

The school matters much more than the Board!

Though there are differences between the Boards, these will tend to reduce in the years to come

Expect drastic changes in Education over the next 10 years. There will be 2 main drivers: Technology and Policies

Skills will become more important than Marks – ‘Rote Learning’ will not work

All-round development more important than marks alone

Stress comes from lack of quality options, not ‘Board Exams’

It is best if primary education can be in the mother tongue

Support your children – let them discover their strengths, do not overload them because you are anxious

BOARD IndiaOutside

IndiaCBSE 10000 150Gujarat Board 6000 0ICSE 2000 10?IGCSE 300 8700IB 97 3400

Formed in 1962 by Government of India, the Board has jurisdiction over all of India

Affiliates about 10,000 schools including about 150 schools outside India.

Conducts 10th (AISSE) and 12th (AISSCE) Board Exams. The 10th Board Exam is now optional for schools that have 11th and 12th

The CBSE also conducts other tests like the Pre-Medical Entrance Test, JEE (Main), etc.

All these schools are affiliated to the CBSE: Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sainik Schools, many chains like DPS, DAV, Chinmaya (though they may have some other board schools)

Board with the strongest all-India presence. Uses NCERT textbooks (which are good).

The CISCE was mooted in the 1950s to replace the British ‘Senior Cambridge’ examination

It is registered under the Societies Act and recognizedas an all-India Examination Board (like the CBSE)

It is a private body unlike the CBSE / Gujarat Board and conducts Class 10 (ICSE) and Class 12 (ISC) exams

Schools must be English medium – claims that its alumni (Arundhati Roy, Vikram Seth) have won many Pulitzer Prizes and other awards

A number of elite schools that were affiliated to the Senior Cambridge moved to the ICSE

Overall its numbers are about 2000 schools today – it gives more schools space and freedom (true, compared to the CBSE)

Based in Geneva, Switzerland

Formed in 1968

3513 schools in 144 countries – India 5th with 97 schools after USA, Canada, UK and Australia

Offers 3 programmes Primary Years Programme (PYP)Middle Years Programme (MYP)IB Diploma Programme (IB)

No 10th Board Exam – only in the 12th

Emphasis on enquiry learning and original thinking, individual-focussed – rigorous in its own way

Expensive

Part of UK based Cambridge InternationalExaminations (CIE)

The IGCSE is part of Cambridge Secondary 2

About 300 schools in India; over 9000 totally worldwide

Was the most well-known International Board in India before the IB ‘caught on’

Curriculum seen as not as enquiry-based and activity / learner oriented as the IB

Many schools that offer IGCSE also offer an Indian Board

5-6 schools in Ahmedabad offer IGCSE; about 35 schools in Gujarat

Formed and run by the Gujarat government’s Education department.

Conducts the class 10 and 12 exams

Schools affiliated to it must be Gujarati or English medium

Recognized by all Indian Universities, equivalencies available for most foreign universities also

Among the more progressive Boards in India today – in line with other wings of Gujarat government. Working on an ambitious Examination Reform project

However, the government itself is aligning to the NCERT curriculum and open to schools going for the central boards

Boards like the NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) are also available but are seen as lower quality options.

All Boards are by and large recognised by colleges across the country and even the Indian boards are recognised by most international college programmes

For example in Gujarat 5.052% of seats are reserved for CBSE and 0.661% for ICSE! (International Board students face issues including due to the timings of their Board results)

Transferring from 1 Board to another may require some documentation but is usually possible.

Though subjects and offerings vary (mainly in terms of the number of subjects and languages) – core subjects are common.

There are schools offering multiple Boards

No.. Actually we cannot say

It only means that the schools that perform the best have been ICSE schools..

In general many elite schools have been ICSE-affiliated.

We cannot say that the ICSE Board is the *cause* of the good performance..

.. though it could be

Marks – Up, Up and Away…!

Why we chose the ICSE Board at Eklavya School

IGCSE vs ICSE – a discussion at Mallya Aditi School, Bangalore

The problem chain – boards – schools – parents - students

CBSE uses NCERT books – which are better than most other books available in India

Maths – Science focus in CBSE is good. Language focus in ICSE is good, higher than CBSE’s

ICSE has made Maths optional in class 10 – though most schools do not give than option. Many feel Maths important till 10th

CBSE – more dynamic and changes are happening, but much more interference from (the central) government

CBSE’s move to make the 10th Board optional has not found support from any other board!

ICSE – not very dynamic – curriculum not changed for a while, textbooks not prescribed, some may see as advantage

ICSE has stagnated a bit after its secretary was forced to leave due to infighting

20Source: Examples are from Gujarat Board, CBSE and IGCSE Class 10 papers of 2009

Gujarat Board Paper

CBSE Paper

IGCSE Paper

• What is the weight of the pituitary gland?

• Who were the parents of Benito Mussolini? • How many members are there in the U.N.O.? • Describe the method of irrigation prevalent in India • Our highest import is from (Hong Kong, Italy, Kuwait) • Write a short note on the scope of Ethics. • Is Marxism relevant today? 2 marks

• Approximately how many stars are there in the universe?

1. Repetition of identical (or very similar) questions from year to year (hence playing into the hands of coaching classes)

2. Ambiguous phrasing of questions or questions phrased as ‘Write a note on…’ (both of which require students to pour out all they remember from the textbook on that topic)

3. Inordinately lengthy (perhaps in an attempt to ‘cover’ all chapters of the textbook), hence allowing little time for actual thought, and discriminating against thoughtful reflection

4. Designed to test a detailed knowledge of the textbook (including trivia and/or errors within it) rather than competencies and core concepts

-NCF Position Paper on Examination Reforms, 2005

The school matters much more than the Board!

Though there are differences between the Boards, these will tend to reduce in the years to come

Expect drastic changes in Education over the next 10 years. There will be 2 main drivers: Technology and Policies

Skills will become more important than Marks – ‘Rote Learning’ will not work

All-round development more important than marks alone

Stress comes from lack of quality options, not ‘Board Exams’

It is best if primary education can be in the mother tongue

Support your children – let them discover their strengths, do not overload them because you are anxious

Thank You

Visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/theggis

to get all the information discussed here.

www.theggis.comwww.blog.theggis.com