“Does the IGCSE curriculum have any scope in India and how can it benefit my child?”
It’s a common question that comes to every parent’s mind who is seeking a good school for their child. Deciding between CBSE, ICSE, and IGCSE boards can be hard as each of them has its benefits and challenges. While the CBSE curriculum is nationally recognised and sets a strong academic foundation for clearing competitive exams in India, the ICSE curriculum is globally-recognised and lays more weight on practicals and co-curricular activities. The IGCSE curriculum (for grades IX to XII) focuses on inquiry-based, experiential learning through making real-life connections and building skills to clear global entrance exams or language tests for overseas migration.
Are you looking for the best schools in Bangalore that offer the IGCSE curriculum? Here’s a comprehensive guide to the IGCSE grading system and curriculum for parents planning to move their children to a good IGCSE school.
The IGCSE Curriculum: Salient Features, Scope & Benefits
The IGCSE board is for non-native English students who’re looking for overseas employment opportunities. It caters to the specific needs of learners with different learning styles. The best IGCSE schools in JP Nagar and Byrathi offer a choice between the core curriculum (ordinary-level) & the extended curriculum (for advanced study of a discipline). Both aim to
- Engage students with interactive learning
- Encourage inquiry and experimentation
- Build cross-curricular perspectives
- Make connections between different concepts & subjects
- Apply the understanding of the subject matter to real-life situations
- Find solutions to various problems
- Develop creative expression and good communication skills in English
- Increase students’ global cultural awareness
The IGCSE curriculum is stimulating and flexible, and lays emphasis on developing critical life skills like curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making skills, etc., with adequate training and scaffolding. It offers around 70 subjects, including:
- Core & advanced learning courses in commerce, humanities & science streams,
- Professional courses (E.g., ICT; advanced maths; creative, technical & vocational courses, etc.),
- Foreign languages (E.g., German, French, etc.).
Despite the international outlook, the IGCSE syllabus retains local relevance to avoid cultural bias and ensure that students learn the same concepts from a local as well as a global point of view.
The benefits of enrolling in an IGCSE school include
- Greater flexibility in choosing subjects
- Keeping students on par with the latest technologies
- Focus on student-centric, practical learning
- Skill-based formative assessments to understand and facilitate mastery of subject matter
- Focus on developing skills that are demanded in future professions
- Exposure to global education for broadening students’ perspectives
- Raising students as well-adjusted individuals
Grading System In Education: IGCSE Vs CBSE Vs ICSE
The IGCSE board follows an 8-letter grading system (from A* to G grades).
- A* (90-100) & A (80-89) or proficient-level grades,
- B (70-79) & C (60-69) or intermediate-level grades,
- D (50-59), E (40-49), F (30-39) & G (20-29) or basic-level grades.
The IGCSE curriculum includes core courses that aim to clarify the basic concepts of students and focus on improving the skills of basic-level and intermediate-level learners. Contrary to this, the extended or advanced courses (with higher proficiencies) are designed to increase the academic abilities of students by preparing them for higher education and helping them perform well in competitive examinations. The idea is to mentor students to attain advanced or proficient levels (grades A*, A, and B) by the time they finish their education.
The IGCSE grading system is regarded as one of the most thorough and toughest grading systems because it tests the development of both knowledge and skills in students through formative & summative assessments. Moreover, the IGCSE curriculum is very extensive, with lots of core and reference books, which may be cumbersome for some students. As a result, the roles of schools (in terms of curriculum implementation) and educators (in terms of learning delivery) are critical.
Things To Consider When Choosing The Best IGCSE Schools In Bangalore
When looking for the best IGCSE schools in Byrathi and JP Nagar, parents should select an institution that offers
- A custom-designed, well-balanced, and academically challenging curriculum till Gr. VIII so that students are prepared for the challenges of the IGCSE curriculum in Gr. IX
- Personalised pedagogies to ensure students’ physical, mental, social, emotional, and psychological development
- A Lower student-teacher classroom ratio to ensure that every child gets individual attention.
- Skilled, passionate, and trained educators for seamless delivery of learning.
The Ekya School is among the best schools in Bangalore that implement a personalised curriculum till Gr. VIII, designed by an expert in-house team to ensure that students ‘live their lesson’ every day. The school also offers the internationally-recognised IGCSE curriculum for Gr. IX and above so that learners can develop exemplary academic abilities to pursue their higher studies at foreign universities and get employed at global corporations. With campuses in five locations, including JP Nagar & Byrathi, Ekya is the best choice for parents and students who are planning to move to an IGCSE school. Get in touch to know how we do things differently.
