When it comes to international schools in Malaysia, quite a few of them offer their students the British IGCSE and the Indian CBSE syllabuses. These are two of the most popular ones amongst students who want to receive their education in the English language. The former curriculum is very popular with most English speaking expat children living in Malaysia, while the latter is the preferred choice of students of Indian origin.
As to which one is the better option depends upon the point of view and perspective of the students seeking admission to these schools. Students who intend to pursue higher studies in India after completing school might opt for the CBSE curriculum, while those who would rather go to a Western university would in all likelihood opt for the IGCSE system of education. All the same, we can look at the advantages that each of these syllabuses offers their students:
Advantages of choosing an IGCSE School in Malaysia
- An internationally well recognized board
The IGCSE syllabus is quite well recognized by all the top colleges and universities of the world providing students a huge advantage when it comes to obtaining admission to one of these places for higher studies.
- Opens doors to foreign universities that don’t accept CBSE
One huge advantage that the IGCSE curriculum offers its students is the fact that it is recognized by certain foreign universities that don’t accord the same kind of recognition to CBSE and other boards.
- Advanced curriculum and a diverse range of subjects to choose from
The IGCSE curriculum is quite advanced compared to other curricula and they also offer the students a more diverse range of subjects to choose from.
- Stress on English and technical subjects
As compared to other curricula, the IGCSE curriculum places a lot of stress on English and technical subjects which works well for a lot of students in today’s times.
- Better suited to the needs of international students
The IGCSE curriculum is a popular system of education that has acceptance in many countries around the world, often making it the first choice for expat students.
Advantages of opting for the CBSE curriculum
- Quality of course-content
The CBSE curriculum is defined by the quality of its course-content. This is best exemplified by its textbooks which are not only excellent in terms of their content but are error and printing mistake free.
- Offers new age comprehensive and continuous evaluation (CCE)
The CBSE curriculum is a new age one marked by its comprehensive and continuous evaluation or CCE approach, which ensures that students are graded by a combination of their curricular and extracurricular activities. This ensures that a child is fairly assessed on the basis of what they know rather than merely the marks they have managed to score in some tests.
- Science, mathematics and application based subjects
This curriculum offers science, mathematics and application based subjects to its students improving their prospects to obtain admission to leading colleges, professional institutions and universities.
- Recognized by all Indian colleges
Students, especially those of Indian origin would be more inclined to study in a CBSE school as it opens the doors for admission to the best Indian colleges and universities.
Conclusion
While both the IGCSE and CBSE curricula are quite good in terms of empowering students to fulfil their dreams and aspirations, what one chooses for oneself depends upon the country one is from and what one’s aspirations are. Students from the Indian subcontinent or those of Indian origin would likely be more comfortable adapting to the CBSE one, as compared to those hailing from a Western nation.
The latter would find the IGCSE curriculum more commensurate with their temperament. Also, it would improve their chances of obtaining admission to the leading colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning in the West. That being stated, Malaysia, which is a combination of the best of Eastern and Western cultures given its history, diverse cultural composition and a healthy presence of expats, would have a large number of takers for both kinds of education systems.
The good thing about the British system of education (IGCSE) is that it boasts a long history and has been one of the foremost education systems in the world for a long time. It has proved its mettle and worth over the years and this fact is quite evident in its global spread.
The CBSE system, which originated in India and was founded in 1929, came into its own in the post-colonial era and quickly established itself as one of the premier education systems comparable with the best anywhere in the world. It is eminently suited to the needs of Indian students and those of Indian origin.
Like the IGCSE system, the CBSE system too is quite widespread and is found to be the curriculum of choice in a large number of international schools around the world.
Going forward, one can expect, both the curricula to grow in popularity and contribute to the cause of educating the children of the world. As to which one is better is something that can be left to individuals to decide on the basis of what suits their children’s interests in the best possible way.
Both curricula are evolving with the times to ensure that the children of today are equipped with all the necessary skills required to do well in a dynamic and fast evolving 21st century world.
