Advantages & Disadvantages of ICSE Boards Schools

Overview

Commonly referred to as “ICSE,” the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education was formed per the 1986 Education Policy guidelines. The ICSE board was set up so that exams could be given in an English-language general education curriculum.

The vast and comprehensive ICSE syllabus emphasises in-depth study of each subject, with English garnering special focus. The ICSE curriculum is organised and streamlined. It gives students real-world knowledge, problem-solving skills, and analytical skills. ICSE conducts talent searches and awards academic scholarships to its young students. The council runs the ICSE to teach everyone and develop the fields of science, literature, and fine arts. 

The Higher School Certificate from the University of Scotland is recognised equally with ICSE by the UK’s national admissions and accreditation body, UCAS (Universities and College Admission Services). Due to the fact that ICSE is taught exclusively in English, students have a strong command of the language and literature from kindergarten onward. This helps them develop the skill of writing concisely in English, which makes it simple for ICSE graduates to perform well on competitive and language exams like the IELTS, TOEFL, etc. 

ICSE has been known for a long time as one of the best educational boards in the world because of its challenging curriculum, strict rules for how tests are graded, and progressive assessment and promotion standards. Many of India’s premier institutions, like Sherwood College in Nainital, Doon School in Dehradun, Mayo Girls College in Ajmer, La Martiniere College in Lucknow, and many others, are associated with the ICSE board.

Let’s see the advantages and disadvantages of the ICSE board in-depth and what it means for your child and their future.

Advantages of ICSE Board

The benefits of the ICSE board are as follows:

• Well-structured and comprehensive syllabus: The ICSE curriculum is organized and focuses on ensuring students deeply understand the ideas rather than just teaching them facts. This helps students learn the technique of “how to learn” as opposed to “what to learn.” Moreover, since their concepts are clear, students gain the upper hand when it comes to pursuing higher studies abroad.
• Emphasis on the English Language: The medium of instruction in the ICSE schools is only English, except for the second and third languages. This means that the students of ICSE schools have excellent written and verbal communication skills and a great command of the English language compared to other board students.
• Associated with Cambridge University: Since Cambridge University is connected to the ICSE board, universities and colleges worldwide, recognize and value the ICSE curriculum. This means that students from ICSE schools are more likely to be accepted into foreign universities.
• Helps with the overall development: The ICSE curriculum and teaching methodologies help students achieve an all-around personality as they are taught to think outside the box. With all the subjects given equal weight and importance, ICSE students excel in all fields.
• Develops problem-solving attitude: ICSE schools teach students to apply concepts to actual-world problems. Additionally, ICSE students are also given practical knowledge along with theoretical knowledge. This helps them develop a problem-solving attitude and skills.
• Wide range of subject choices: ICSE students get a wide range of subject choices. Apart from the core subjects, students also have to choose from skill-based subjects, and the choices are many. This helps students decide what they want to pursue and find out what they are good at.
• Students have higher flexibility: As opposed to other boards, students in ICSE schools have more flexibility in choosing their subjects.
• Competitive edge: ICSE students have excellent command over the English language, and they have the skills to convey the gist clearly and concisely. This helps them clear civil service exams easily as compared to other students. Likewise, due to the excellence in the English language, ICSE students can easily clear exams like IELTS and TOEFL that require top-notch English skills.
• Equal weightage to all subjects: Unlike other boards that focus on a few core subjects, the ICSE board gives equal weight to all the subjects. All subjects have equal importance and value, whether it’s English, art, science, or maths. Thus, students gain an understanding of all the subjects as opposed to a select few.
• Global level exposure: The ICSE board is connected to Cambridge University, so students learn about education and teaching policies that are used around the world. Also, the ICSE curriculum is not regional or national but global and talks about the world as a whole. Hence, students learn about the world instead of a nation or region. Moreover, ICSE students can choose French as a second language and have Modern Foreign Languages, which is an advantage over other boards.

These were the benefits of the ICSE board; now, let’s see the disadvantages of the ICSE board.

Disadvantages of the ICSE Board

• Vast and factual syllabus: The ICSE syllabus is vast, with almost equal emphasis on each subject. Thus, students have to study all the subjects with equal focus. The ICSE syllabus is factual, meaning that students must study and learn the facts to score high marks. The ICSE syllabus does not leave any room for exploration. So it’s either right or wrong; there’s no in-between.
• Lack of private tutors: Due to a lack of teachers in their area, ICSE board students cannot get quality private tuition.
• More courses: As an average student in an ICSE board would have to give thirteen courses or examinations throughout the sixth grade, as opposed to the six subjects that the student has in CBSE, students may feel overburdened.
• Tough grading: Even though the ICSE curriculum helps students understand more and develop better life and analytical skills, it can be hard to get into college if papers are graded too harshly after an ISC test.

In conclusion

There are numerous benefits to attending ICSE board schools, as well as a few minor drawbacks. However, ICSE students have global exposure that is quite valuable in terms of further studies. Some students may feel overburdened by the factual and vast syllabus and find that the CBSE syllabus is comparatively easy and gives them a competitive edge.

 

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