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The education system in India has often been applauded for its progressive curriculum. It offers different boards to choose from, each with their own set of advantages. Each board: CBSE, ICSE and IGCSE offers a plethora of subjects for a bright future. With the options given, it is often hard to determine the right choice for your child. To make it easier for you, here are some of the details on the education board right for your child.
The Central Board of Secondary Education was craeted in the pre-Independence era. It has contributed immensely to the development and growth of secondary education in the country by adapting and constantly changing over the years. The vision of CBSE is to go beyond textbooks and link classroom learning with real life.
Focusing on creating a strong link between scholastic and non-scholastic education, the CBSE board is the most popular board in India. To ensure that the skills and development of students are made a priority, reasoning and creative abilities are given precedence over memorization.
CBSE has a thorough Science and Mathematics syllabus. The pattern and syllabus is designed in such a way to enable the student to contribute to India’s global competition. The CBSE board has established its presence in over 24000 schools across India and 240 schools in 26 foreign countries making it an advantage for students who may have to transfer across schools on a global level, while having the comfort of not changing the medium of instruction.
The ICSE( the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) board has a vision dedicated to empower students and help them in contributing towards a humane, just and pluralistic society. The Council conducts three examinations, one is The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) which is for the Class 10 students, the Indian School Certificate (ISC) which is for the Class 12 students and the Certificate of Vocational Education examination.
In the ICSE approach, a focus is put on learning the basics before the student can become an expert on the subject. This helps the student have a thorough understanding of the topic. The subjects they learn become knowledge they can practise for life. ICSE exams test knowledge, understanding and application.
The syllabus of ICSE will prove an advantage to students who are planning to study abroad and may want to attempt entrance examinations for such studies. It focuses on subjects such as Arts, Language and Science. It is an ideal choice for students who are looking to pursue literature, arts and management careers. The ethos of the council are such as diversity and plurality, striving for excellence and inculcating spiritual and cultural values.
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is popular for having a foreign orientation and is certainly one of the most recognised curriculums globally. The board also focuses on imparting quality education and gives students a wide variety of subjects to choose from. If a student is looking at applying for universities globally right after their high school, this is the perfect board to opt for as it is recognised by the majority of universities based outside India.
Students who are enrolled in IGCSE affiliated schools are encouraged to be problem solvers and critical thinkers. They are taught to apply the knowledge they learn not only to familiar situations but to new situations as well. The students are also taught to develop a cultural awareness and be flexible towards changes.
With a wide range of subjects to choose from, students have the opportunity to pursue their career interests. The teaching methods practiced are taken from the international context. The board aims to establish a strong connection between the students and the subjects in study.
All the three education boards; ICSE, IGCSE and CBSE have distinct approaches towards education. CBSE board helps your child in being prepared for national level indian universities like IIT, NIIT etc. IGCSE and ICSE helps your child understand the international syllabi and prepare them for studying abroad. However, irrespective of the stream you choose for your child, ensure that they are able to understand the pedagogy and gel in easily with the help of schools you choose. There are lot of options available for the best CBSE and ICSE schools in Bangalore.
However, Ekya Schools is recognised as some of the best schools in Bangalore. We have all three education boards offered in different locations across Bangalore.
We at Ekya follow an in-house curriculum since it’s inception in 2010 and we focus on the method of “Live the Lesson” that helps our children look at not just what to learn, but how to learn. This experiential learning helps our students to excel irrespective of the board they choose in the senior program and we have seen this in the achievements our students have to their credit. Ekya ITPL, stands as one of the best CBSE schools in Bangalore for the holistic education, building our students into a better citizens of tomorrow.
Hi Ma’am, we are back!!
A day which was long-awaited by the teachers and students!!
A day, which will fill color to the school campus and make it vibrant!!
A day, which gives space to go out in the open air, and experiences the warmth, the cool breeze of the wind!!
A day when the teacher can hold the chalk and write on the blackboard!!
A day where we see the beautiful charming smiles on our sweet students!!
A day, which resonates with the chirping voices of the blooming buds!!
A day finally arrived to make it “THE PERFECT DAY!!”
Yes, it was the day that I was longing to experience, which was missing for the past two years.
What an amazing feeling it was to wake up, get ready with the best attire, and pack the lunch bag!! And head to meet my superb kids in person !! My mind was filled with excitement, happiness, joy, pleasure, enchantment, and ecstasy!! I was thrilled to experience this day!!
“Hi Ma’am, we are back!!” Hi Ma’am, We are so excited to come back to offline school !!
These voices started to echo and replicate in each class I went to and filled my heart with warmth, joy, and delight!!
What a fulfilling moment and day it was, to see the campus fully vibrant and colorful with kids moving around and eagerly waiting to explore, learn and innovate new ideas!!
Away from the call links, grid view, and mute button!!. Children were excited to meet their friends, share their thoughts, have lunch together, do group activities, and much more.
The boards were lifeless without colorful content on them and works of students which made them bright and welcoming!!
And finally, the day arrived when the campus was buzzing with the chirping sounds of the students, boards decorated with vibrant colors and mesmerizing designs to have our kids on board, and students excited to have an everyday school with all the fun activities which they were longing from two years to enjoy their “STUDENT LIFE WHICH IS A GOLDEN LIFE !!”
What fun it is to collaborate, learn and work together and move forward as “ONE TOGETHER”!!
Ms. Ashwini KC
Computer Science Middle school teacher.
How teachers can help students to form a Growth Mindset in the classroom
A word that is heard quite commonly is ‘mindset ‘. Mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. A growth mindset towards learning is now considered as important as the academic knowledge itself whether at school or at the workplace.
Research shows that a growth mindset towards learning helps students to understand that their abilities can be developed over time through effort and persistence. On the other hand, people with a fixed mindset believe that abilities are fixed and are present when you are born. They cannot be developed or improved further.
When a child has a growth mindset, they tend to have a hunger for learning and a desire to work hard and discover new things. This often translates into academic achievement. On the other hand, those with fixed mindsets are more likely to give up in the face of challenging circumstances.
How are these mindsets formed in the first place? One of the main causes is found to be praising and labeling often in early childhood at home, school or in public interactions. Thus, parents and teachers can make a significant impact in the formation of mindset in students.
A few pointers on how we can make a difference as teachers in formation of a growth mindset:
Teach the students about brain neuroplasticity which is the ability of the brain to form new neural connections in response to challenges or new experiences. Students will be more interested in learning when they know that they can remodel their own brain during study and drill. A very useful teaching resource in this direction is the 3-D brain map sourced from the Open Colleges website. Students can click on various parts of the brain model and learn about different parts and their functions. The brain map also provides options for accelerating learning by providing case studies.
“Picture your brain forming new connections as you meet the challenge and
learn. Keep on going.” – Carol Dweck
Mistakes and Failure from the students are to be normalized and not criticized. As children grow, they become more and more reluctant to commit any mistake due to the fear of failure. Only if they commit mistakes will they learn. Encourage students to openly discuss their failures and learn from them.
Practice positive self – talk and reframe language during communication and feedback. A teacher must add the golden word “yet” if any student says “I am not good at math”. “Not yet”, the teacher must add so that students understand skills are modifiable. Teaching students how to use positive self-talk helps them develop the confidence and essential skills necessary to be successful in scientific challenges and investigations.
Therefore, as a teacher, the next time a student struggles we must consciously use a growth mindset to encourage and help that student to find a different way of thinking.
“More and more research is suggesting that, far from being simply encoded in the genes, much of personality is a flexible and dynamic thing that changes over the lifespan and is shaped by experience.” – Carol Dweck.
Ms. Preethi C
High School Math Teacher
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