Which curriculum is best for your child – CBSE, XSEED, CISCE, IB

Every parent goes through the confusion of selecting the right curriculum for their child. With so many new curriculums running parallelly, it becomes challenging for parents to zero down on the best curriculum for their child.

The syllabus, the study pattern, and the way of teaching have evolved over the years. So, it is necessary to know about every curriculum before finalizing the right school board. 

Earlier it didn’t matter much which curriculum the kids study in, but these days due to increasing competition, the right curriculum, and the right school matters a lot.

How does choosing the right board matter?

Each board functions as per its set standards and policies. Each child has a different aptitude and different aspirations. So, you need to understand what your child is going to get out of different curriculums. Once you understand the basic differences between the various curriculums, you will be able to select the right curriculum for your child.

Here, are a few insights that will help you choose the right curriculum for your child:

Which curriculum is better for your child

1. CBSE Curriculum

CBSE is one of the most popular boards in India. It is most suitable for parents with transferrable jobs. More than 22,000 schools are following the CBSE curriculum, which makes it the largest board in India (excluding state boards). It conducts two main exams which are: 

1. All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE) in Grade – X, and 
2. All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE) in Grade – XII

• CBSE curriculum is highly oriented towards competitive exams. It lays a strong emphasis on science and maths. 
• CBSE is taught in both Hindi as well as English as a language for instruction.
• All central schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas, NCERT schools and all the popular schools in India are affiliated to CBSE board. 
• CBSE syllabus matches competitive exams like IIT-JEE, NEET, and AIEEE.
• The syllabus is less in volume as compared to ICSE board.  
• It is considered to be a comparatively easy board as compared to ICSE board.

2. XSEED Education

XSEED Education is my personal favourite curriculum. The curriculum focuses on the real learning of child and discourages cramming. The course curriculum is well researched and developed by the world’s best brains, who are pass-outs from Harvard, MIT, IIM Ahmedabad, and other premier institutes. 

It is an activity-based curriculum which involves 5-step learning, which are:

• Aim
• Action
• Analysis
• Application
• Assessment

Xseed education is emerging as one of the best curriculums, which is a blend of all other curriculums. In this, the major emphasis is laid on developing the child’s thinking abilities, who is required to write open-ended answers without cramming anything. It provides the opportunity to learn by doing activities which brings in hands-on experience. The curriculum also gives the opportunity to the child to relate the learnings of the lessons with their practical life experiences. 

XSeed Education is quickly spreading its wings all over the world. Currently, more than 10 lakh students are studying in the Xseed curriculum. An increasing number of schools are opting for Xseed curriculum.

3. ICSE Curriculum

ICSE is another popular course curriculum all over India. It is conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. It conducts the two main exams which are:

1. ICSE- Indian Certificate of Secondary Education conducted in class Xth
2. ISC – Indian School Certificate Exam Conducted in class XIIth

• It has a vast curriculum which is aimed at holistic learning and development of the child. 
• It provides equal weightage to Humanities, Mathematics, Sciences, and Language.
• English language is best taught in the ICSE curriculum. The course structure is very detailed. 
• A lot of emphasis is laid on laboratory skills, practical knowledge, and analytical skills of the child. 
• The syllabus is extremely vast as compared to the CBSE board. But, the ICSE curriculum forms a very good foundation of the English language. 

4. IB (International Baccalaureate)

International Baccalaureate is a no-profit organization that offers education to kids between the ages of 3 and 19.

The course curriculum is divided into the following heads:

1. Primary Years Programme
2. Middle Years Programme
3. Diploma Programme
4. Career-related Programme

The teaching style follows an integrated approach. The number of textbooks are much less and the curriculum encourages the kids to explore the world as per their choice. 

So, these are the various curriculums that are prevailing in India. It is difficult to choose the best amongst all as the needs of every child are different. However, a child’s development and growth depends a lot on the school and its faculty. 

It is best to look for a school that encourages plenty of activities along with studies. Both, ICSE and CBSE curriculums are highly preferred by parents all over India. And, both these curriculum are recognised by the government of India.