Most parents aspire to see their child be successful in life and come out on top of their peers. While some parents would want their child to become doctors or engineers, many parents long to see their kid in a prominent government job, such as being an IAS or IPS officer.
If this is your vision for your child, then they would need to pass a government exam, namely the Civil Services Examination by the Union Public Service Commission or UPSC as we all know it. This exam is held once a year. It is mandatory for any candidate aspiring for a position in IAS, IPS, etc.; the results of this exam determine how eligible the candidate is for admission into any of the above government services. This examination is highly competitive as the qualification rate for it is merely 0.1 percent, but any individual who passes this exam gets a designation based on their score.
Because of this exam's competitive nature, most aspirants spend years in dedicated, diligent preparation so that their chances of cracking it increase. However, as a parent, you may want to give your child an edge above the rest, and this can be achieved if you prepare them for the exam right from choosing the right school for them. The big question that arises, in this case, is whether you should send the child to an ICSE or CBSE school.
Several schools claim to be the best CBSE Schools in India, while there is an equal number that claims to be the best ICSE schools in India. However, before choosing the school, you must look at both of these boards and figure out which one would be better for your child and increase their chances of clearing the Civil Services Exam with flying colors.
When should the preparations start?
While there is no set time or age for when to start preparing for the UPSC examinations, most parents encourage their kids to start in their early years. Some children also dream of being IPS or IAS officers either because they see it as a job to be proud of or are drawn by the perks and privileges enjoyed while serving the country. A child could also have this sky-high ambition because a loved family member or a close adult is in this profession, and the child wants to follow in their footsteps. Whatever the reason, some individuals are known to start official preparation for these exams from the age of 16 when other students are still stressing over their 10th board exams.
At Orchids the International school we believe that students should start preparing for such exams from an early age. Our curriculum and method of teaching revolve around this belief, which is why we can genuinely claim to be the best CBSE School in India. We begin training our students for the competitive world from the grassroots level. However, some parents are still in the dilemma of whether a CBSE school or an ISCE school would be better for their children in the long run. No doubt this is a difficult position to be in, and each of these boards has its own advantages, exposures, and experiences. As parents, you need to figure out which of the two schools would give your child a stronger foundation and open up more horizons for the child. If you want to know about best CBSE schools near you then you can check out on the internet using phrases like Best CBSE schools near me.
Does an ICSE or CBSE school provide a better future for your child?
To answer this question, we would first need to compare the two side by side. We have also written an article on how to choose between the two boards if your child's overall growth is important to you.
To find out which of the two boards are more beneficial when it comes to appearing for government examinations, you need to take a look at who sets the syllabus for each board.
The CBSE Board is known as the national board of our country. The syllabus here is set by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). This board's primary aim is to ensure the overall growth of the student's intellect and character.
On the other hand, the syllabus for ICSE schools is set by the University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate. It focuses on strengthening the students' analytical abilities and enforcing that students understand the topics being taught at a deeper level.
One of the most significant advantages that is clearly seen in this case is that a CBSE school syllabus would be more conducive to our country's education pattern. Hence, the scales may tip a little towards a CBSE school.
Another difference that is clearly seen is that the syllabus in a CBSE school is much more intensive while that of an ICSE school is more extensive. ICSE schools focus more on imparting in-depth knowledge and its application while a CBSE school will focus more on the child's skill development.
The question paper pattern in these schools also plays a significant role while choosing a school for a UPSC aspirant as a CBSE school focuses more on objective questions, which is the pattern for most national examinations while on the other hand, the exams in an ICSE school is more aimed at getting the child ready to give international examinations such as SATs, IELTS, or TOEFL.
ICSE schools indeed ensure that the student has a thorough understanding of the topic being taught. This is not necessarily a good thing if their ultimate goal is to appear for UPSC exams. An ICSE student may find studying for this examination more difficult as they would have first to unlearn everything taught to them over the years and start from scratch. On the contrary, most nationalized exams like UPSC have some basis in the CBSE syllabus. Therefore students from CBSE Schools have a more substantial base as they have been studying the NCERT syllabus all their lives.
As the CBSE curriculum is more aligned with the Indian curriculum, it may be an added advantage as compared to the ICSE syllabus that is based on a foreign mode of education. CBSE Schools also focus more on math and science subjects, which are the backbone of most competitive examinations. In contrast, ICSE schools focus more on vocational subjects like literature, arts, management, etc. that make the child ready for scholarship exams and international exams.
While we cannot definitively say that a child from an ICSE school has no chance of clearing the UPSC examination, we only mean to emphasize that a student from the CBSE board will have studied the syllabus more in-depth over the years while a student from the ICSE Board will have only a fraction of the time to study the same amount of matter.
Apart from the other reasons mentioned above, one of the most prominent differences between an ICSE and a CBSE school is that most of the NCERT books used in CBSE schools are written by officials and experts who work for the Indian Government. These books are supposed to be the most authentic study material for those aspiring to attempt the UPSC examinations. It was found that many questions asked in a UPSC exam were straight out of these NCERT books. This gives a student studying in a CBSE school a higher chance of clearing the UPSC examination on their first attempt.
Why are NCERT books so important?
The NCERT is a government organization that was set up in 1961 by the Indian Government. This organization's sole purpose was to advise the state and central government on programs and policies that would improve the school system. The original editions of the NCERT books were created after thorough research by government officials and experts. Therefore it is only natural that any examination conducted by the government of India would put more emphasis on books published by the NCERT. Thus studying from a school that uses these books as part of their syllabus is sure to give students an edge in most government examinations. Some of the most important subjects with regard to NCERT books that help students build a strong foundation for their UPSC Exams are history, geography, polity, environment science, economy, sociology, culture, art, and general sciences such as physics, biology, chemistry, and biotechnology.
The Final Decision
Both ICSE and CBSE Schools have their benefits when it comes to the wellbeing of the child. However, the decision is ultimately the parents.
A few people argue that it doesn't make a difference, and no matter what board the child studies, their chances are the same. Hence we have stated the facts and left the decision on the parents.
Coming back to the topic of our own school, we put in an extra effort to call individuals who have already cleared such exams as guest lecturers to give our students at Orchids the International School tips and tricks that would help them pass these exams with flying colors.