|
 Whatever
your choice of syllabus, all schools will cater to the chief objective of offering to
provide excellent learning facilities and instruction for your child. Decide first on the
choice of syllabus you wish for your child, then visit the school of your choice, be sure
the school is affiliated to the national (if CBSE or ICSE) Board of Education, or state
(if State syllabus/Matriculation Board) Board of Education. Obtain their prospectus,
review the contents, prepare a list of questions you need to ask the principal, visit the
teachers and former students to determine their experiences and the extent to which the
school's objectives are in concurrence. Use the indicators listed in this booklet or add
some on your own and decide on the school you want your child to study.
In India the available syllabi are ICSE, CBSE, and State (in Tamil Nadu,
Matriculation Board is also available). Each has characteristic advantages and
disadvantages. ICSE, for instance, has a comparatively higher quality of learning due to
its inherent advantage of utilizing more academic time for student instruction and
learning, experience-based learning through project work, and the availability of varied
language options.  CBSE has a more or less similar quality and the availability of more
schools throughout the country. State syllabus schools are average in both qualities of
learning and instruction.
ICSE schools are better if you are planning to send your
child abroad for higher education, because a pragmatic range of choice groups is
available. However, fewer schools are available in India. CBSE schools are better if you
have a transferable job or are constantly on the move; many CBSE schools are available
across the country as well as in the Middle East. State syllabus schools have the
advantage of training students better for entrance exams. However, the drawback is in the
quality of teaching and learning English in most (not all) such schools are lacking in
this regard.
|
