No matter how different we are from one another, our human instinct wants us to protect our loved ones in every way possible. More so, when we become a parent. You see, once you already have this bundle of joy, all you could think about is providing the best things for them. You would want to give them everything you have and even those you do not have in your hands yet. This circumstance is very much right. More so, for foreigners who chose to settle down in Singapore. They want their children to start a new life and gain more knowledge and skills as much as possible. However, the only way they could do that is at an internationalschool in Singapore. Learning a CBSEor IGCSE curriculum would be a great stepping stone for their successful future. Yet, which one is better between the two? Let us find out, shall we?

What Is CBSE?

The acronym stands for Central Board of Secondary Education. It follows the national syllabus of India. Plus it focuses on making the subject easier. That way, students with different learning capabilities would be able to grasp the concept of each course.

What Is IGCSE?

While for this acronym, it stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is a curriculum used by the University of Cambridge International Examination. More so, this curriculum gains recognition in various countries worldwide. Plus, it uses a holistic way so students could learn more competitively.

What Are Their Differences Between CBSE and IGCSE?

• Subjects and Compulsory Classes
  • For CBSE in Singapore, it provides three compulsory subjects called streams. These streams are arts, commerce, and science, and they are all written in English. While forIGCSE, most schools who have it in Singaporeoffer over 70 subjects. That way, students would gain and develop a global perspective.

• Focus and Teaching Approach
  • If you choose to enrol your child at CBSE school in Singapore, the courses it favoursbestare related to engineering and medicine. Therefore, if you want your child to become a doctor or an engineer, this curriculum is the one they should take. Furthermore, it focuses on the theoretical approach rather than an application. And that is the complete opposite of IGCSE since it prefers students to apply their learning into an actual situation.

• Complexity and Levels
  • For CBSE, it does not have advanced and comprehensive concepts for the subjects. However, it does help students earn good grades no matter what their level of intelligence is. While the other one, students are required to take an assessment. So, students can learn all subjects for the entire year.

• Requirement for Assessment
  • Students taking CBSE would need to test their ability and prove what they have learnt through written examinations. While for the students under IGCSE, they need to take a practical exam and show how they applied what they learned.

• Textbook and References
  • CBSE schools in Singapore follow books recommended by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training). While for IGCSE schools, it uses global scale textbooks so students could gain more knowledge.

• Language Use for Instruction
  • Apart from English, CBSE uses Hindi (National Language of India) as a medium of instruction and communication. While for IGCSE, it only uses English for both means.

• Recognising Authority
  • As mentioned above, CBSE uses Hindi. Therefore, it gains recognition from the Union Government of India. On the other hand, IGCSE did not only gain acknowledgement in Cambridge but also in our schools worldwide.

What Are Their Pros and Cons of CBSE and IGCSE?

CBSE

• Pros
  • Suitable for children who often move to different countries because of their parents’ employment relocation.
  • More affordable than IGCSE.
  • Allows students from private and non-affiliated schools to take the exam

• Cons
  • It offers lesser subjects compared to IGCSE.
  • It does not focus so much on languages and social science such as culture.
  • It teaches each subject theoretically.
  • Most likely encourages students not to participate in so much extracurricular.

IGCSE

• Pros
  • It offers various subjects.
  • It does not only focus on science and commerce, but also arts and languages.
  • Suitable for students who prefer to study abroad.
  • It motivates students to learn more and not care so much about the grades they gained.

• Cons
  • All subjects are readable in English
  • It is quite expensive compared to other curriculums.
  • Only a few available tutors available

How Much Would They Cost When You Enrol Your Child in One?

There is not much of a difference in their tuition fee. Nevertheless, here is an estimate to help you decide which one is more affordable for your income.

CBSE

• It would cost you at least 2000 Singrorean dollars per month.

IGCSE

• The tuition fee for this one is a little higher than CBSE, and it would cost you at least 2150 Singaporean dollars per month.

Take note:  The tuition for these two curricula is payable for 12 months or one year of school academic year.

Do You Now Know Which Curriculum to Enrol Your Child?

Whatever you choose, NPS International School has them all in Singapore. So, if you think CBSEsuits your child the most, do not hesitate to enrol them now today. Here, they would learn 16 different subjects, and they would get a chance to improve their mathematical skills and scientific analysis.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit their website today and find out how much tuition you need to spend to enrol your child there.

Did you find this helpful? Well, then share it with your ex-pat community about the difference between CBSE and IGCSE in Singapore. That way, they would decide which one suits well for their children.

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