When it comes to deciding on a board of education for your child, it could be a challenging task for you.

The International Boards are gaining popularity over and above the two more traditional boards –  CBSE and ICSE. Thus there a raging controversy between which board of education is the best for the child.

We have here a comparative analysis of the three that will help reduce your tension.

CBSE or Central Board of Secondary Education

The CBSE or Central Board of Secondary Education is one that is a tried and tested formula for many years now. It is recognised by all universities and colleges in India.

It is the chosen mode of education for those with a transferable job. This is because this board has a large network of school affiliated to it across the country.

The CBSE syllabus is also best suited for the entrance and competitive exams like the medical and engineering JEE and thus, is again a sought after curriculum.

However, the CBSE syllabus is more academic or theory-oriented with little room for experimentation.

ICSE or Indian Certificate of Secondary Education

The ICSE is another popular board of studies which is followed by several of the reputed schools in the country.

Like the CBSE, the ICSE is also recognised all over and a child passing out from the board will not have any trouble going in for higher education.

The ICSE conducts two exams – the ICSE for the 10th class and ISC (Indian School Certificate) for the 12th.

The ICSE has a comprehensive curriculum and has a number of subjects, unlike the more compact syllabus of the CBSE.

With lot of emphasis on English, the students stand to gain when taking an exam in the language.

The ICSE Board is one that gets a student to dig deep into a subject, and gather a proper and thorough understanding of the subject with research and experimentation.

It fosters a systematic mode of studies and also nurtures an analytical mind like the CBSE.

IB or International Baccalaureate

The IB or the International Board is slowly gaining ground in India.

There are schools slowly coming up across the country that follows the board and children are making the choice of an International Board of Studies.

The acceptance of the board worldwide and also a more practical oriented focus of the syllabus are probably the two main strong points working for the International Board.

The syllabus is such that it completely eliminates the system of having to cram for exams. The children instead learn by observing and understanding. 

At the end of the day, each of the three boards offers a complete approach with advantages and disadvantages existing in each system. The parents need to assess the individual requirements, circumstances and make the right choice. Choosing a good school should be the first criteria, as the school is the second home of the child and your kid definitely learns his first few lessons of life from school.