Different Philosophies of Education
When it comes to learning, every child has different needs. It’s a fact that we in India especially tend to forget. There was a time when everyone when to the neighborhood school, no matter what kind of home you come from, what kind of learner you are. Thanks to a lot more awareness now, the trends in the education sector are fast changing and so are the conversations.
These conversations have led to a a lot awareness about children’s needs and have brought about a lot of shifts in the Education styles in India. There are more offering now but that also makes the decision of choosing a school that much harder.
Well, i believe that the first step to choosing the right school for your child should be to understand your child’s learning style and needs. What are they into, and what’s the best way to raise and feed their curiosity. How do they absorb information best, when they are playing, when you are reading to them, when you are making them do something.
Step two to choosing the right school for your child is understanding the different offering sand what makes them different from each other. The purpose of this blogpost is to help simplify the step two for you. Here are different approaches, methods, board son Education available in India.
Conventional Education
Conventional education is the school of education that has been around the longest. It is what most of us have grown up with. Conventional education has always been Teacher-led, with students caught between desks and chairs and the teacher leading the lecture.
Montessori
While conventional education had been around for a really long time, Montessori is a method that came around a 100 years ago. And contrary to conventional education, the Montessori method is child-centric, where the teacher is more of a guide who helps the child explore and learn on their own. Montessori classroom are planned in advance and use specially designed material for children to explore, so they can learn to problem solve and pick up the concept along the way. The method has found immense recognition in the early years and continues to gain popularity in India.
Waldorf
Another method that is popular in the preschool space is the Waldorf method, though it’s not yet as famous in India. The Waldorf method, also known as the Steiner Method, focuses on developing the child’s creativity, imagination and practical skills. Play is a big part of the Waldorf classroom and so are stories, art and the outdoors.
Reggio Emilia
This education philosophy focusses on preschool and primary education and is a project-based system of learning. Under Reggio Emilia, children learn according to their own interest. Also collaboration, discussion, research are a big basis of this method. The teacher is a partner in learning and parents are also active participants in projects, Although not as popular in India schools as of now, this method is now making a place for itself in India in after school classes.
In India, you’ll find some of these schools of thoughts in the pre-primary and primary space where as secondary school onwards, the focus shifts to boards. Here are some popular boards of education in India.
CBSE
The Central Board of Secondary Education its widely recognized in India and prioritizes development of analytical thinking and problem solving. It is a student-focused board that has also found recognition outside India, simplifying admission into International colleges, post school. CBSE is also a great board for children who want to study for competitive exams on the side because it’s not as demanding as ICSE. It is focused mainly on core concepts and direct application.
ICSE
ICSE Board is another popular board in India. It provides a balanced curriculum, focusing on concept clarity, analytical skills ad language fluency. ICSE as a board is more demanding, more detailed in its curriculum, deeper in terms of its study material. It is more intense, there is a lot of technical know-how in terms of applied sciences, language skills, lots of conceptual and situational learning.
IB Board
International Baccalaureate (IB) established by the IBO in 1968 is a globally renowned education program. IB’s holistic approach is inquiry based with a focus on critical thinking and interdisciplinary studies. IB prepares students for international universities, promoting well-rounded learning and development. The IB curriculum is vast, across disciplines and prepares children to be future ready like no other.
Cambridge
The Cambridge Board, administered by the Cambridge International Education (CIE) is known for its international recognition and comprehensive curriculum. The board specifically focusses on developing a broad range of skills that are essential for a student’s international success. The curriculum is immersive, innovative, reflective, and great for building curiosity and practical skills. Cambridge lessons are interactive, with a lot of room for debate, discussion and hand-on activities.
Hope this helps you and tells you all you need to know about all that’s happening in the education space in India. Once you have simplified step 1 and 2, you just match the best learning style to your child. Remember, it’s not marks and scores that make a school great, the best thing that a school can do for your child is to get them to fall in love with learning. So choose for your child the learning style where they can thrive!
Good luck on your journey to get your child started on learning!