International Curriculums Offered by Schools in India

The ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) and CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) were the only two curriculum options available to Indian students apart from the local state boards until a couple of decades ago. But things have changed drastically in the education sector today. International schools in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, and other parts of the country are offering the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) and the IB (International Baccalaureate). Let’s take a closer look at each of these programs.

-          IGCSE

The IGCSE is conducted by Cambridge International, which is part of the University of Cambridge. The IGCSE exams are conducted in Grade 10, post which students can either move to another board or appear for AS and A levels that are conducted by Cambridge International at Grade 12. At the IGCSE level, students have the option of choosing from over 70 subjects, thereby getting the benefits of studying one of the most flexible curriculums in the country. Students are taught to develop their natural curiosity and build a passion for lifelong learning. The IGCSE lays great emphasis on students mastering the intricacies of the English language as well as a foreign language.

-          IB

The IB is a not-for-profit educational organization headquartered in Switzerland that offers top-notch education through eminent institutes around the world. It has four programs: the Primary Years Programme for ages 3 to 12, the Middle Years Programme for ages 11 to 16, and the Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme for ages 16-19. The IB focuses on teaching its students to be knowledgeable, caring, open-minded, principled, balanced and reflective, and empowering them to be effective inquirers, communicators, thinkers, and risk-takers.

If you’re looking to enrol your child in an international school offering one of these curriculums, you can start off by doing a quick Google search for ‘international school close to me’. Once you have a basic understanding of the options available, you can do more thorough research by speaking to experts in the field and parents of students currently studying in these schools.