A changing syllabus for changing times

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Not so long ago, ICSE and ISC schools were among the city’s most elite of the elite, with the who’s who of Mumbai opting for them. But with international boards making in-roads into the education market, ICSE schools are now reinventing themselves as affordable options for an English-speaking middle-class that wants quality education.

English happens to be the ICSE board’s forte. Not only is the level of English high at ICSE schools, but ICSE is the only national board that certifies only English-medium schools.

The ICSE board insists that it in no way feels threatened by international boards. “How can a regular Indian family afford a school that charges Rs 1 lakh a year?’’ asked Gerry Arathoon, additional chief secretary and officiating chief executive of the ICSE board, when talking of fees at international schools.

Arathoon pointed out that of the 52 ICSE schools in and around Mumbai, only seven have opted for the IGCSE (Cambridge examination) and three for the International Baccalaureate (IB) alongside the ICSE course.

The ICSE board regularly revamps its curriculum. Four months ago it announced plans to revamp the ISC syllabus. The new syllabus will be tested in the 2010 board examination. Most of the changes are in physics, chemistry and mathematics.

While the old syllabus gave students a choice between JAVA and C++, the revised syllabus will only offer JAVA. In ISC chemistry, the board has reduced the portion that deals with rote learning. The board has also done away with business maths as it overlaps with a section of the regular math. In economics, there will be more focus on the international arena.

The changes are aimed at preparing students for competitive exams to courses like medicine and engineering. “Several students from our board have topped the list in a number of competitive exams, including the IIT-JEE,’’ said Arathoon.

While principals say that a number of students from elite ICSE schools are opting for international boards, the ICSE board has not run out of takers.