In a world that's rapidly shifting from rote to reasoning, the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme stands out as a different education system, valuing questioning over memorising
By Namrata Kohli
“I feel CBSE is more structured, the syllabus is fairly consistent, but sometimes rigorous especially when it comes to exams and the amount of content one has to digest. It primarily assesses students on one type of exam whereas IB asks you to prepare reports, give presentations- all of which count in your final grade,” says Dubai based Veer Tandon who has studied in both at a CBSE school till class 8th (DPS Dubai) and later switched to an IB school (Uptown International School Dubai). In his overall assessment, this 20-year-old who is currently pursuing his Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Imperial College, London says that -“IB maintains a level of rigour that challenges students and provides them room to explore independently. It provides a more holistic learning journey, where in my opinion, it prepares you better for university and the real world.”
Welcome to the world of Indian school education which is governed by several boards, each with its own curriculum, assessment style, and administrative structure. First is CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education), a national-level board under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, popular for science and math-oriented curriculum, widely followed across India and abroad. Second is ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education), which is run by the CISCE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) which is known for its comprehensive syllabus and strong emphasis on English language. Then there are State Boards. Each state in India has its own board (e.g., Maharashtra Board, Tamil Nadu Board, UP Board) where the syllabus is tailored to the state's language and education priorities.
When it comes to international education, there is IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education which prepares students for international higher education. And then there is IB (International Baccalaureate), designed to develop curious and critical learners. Headquartered in Geneva, internationally recognized board IB offers PYP (Primary Years), MYP (Middle Years), and IBDP (Diploma Programme) and isn’t just about high grades. But what exactly sets it apart from other boards, and why are more Indian parents looking beyond CBSE, ICSE or state boards to opt for an IB school?
Devyani Jaipuria, one of India's prominent educationists who runs both a set of IB schools as well as CBSE schools, shares- “There are differences in both the boards. CBSE and IB are great curriculums but different. I myself went to a CBSE school. When we were studying, the system was different – e.g. from our history textbook, we had to mug up a lot of answers. It was a tough curriculum, but the same CBSE students perform very well abroad. Both my children go to an IB school and I find it comes with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning, research, and global awareness. In the IB system, there is not so much textbook involved or mugging up. With its focus on conceptual understanding, and emphasis on both academic rigour and emotional intelligence, IB prepares students not just for college, but for life. It makes them think on their own.”
Choose IB for the right reasons
Some of the top schools are Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS), Mumbai, Bombay International School, Mumbai, The International School Bangalore (TISB), Bangalore, Heritage International Xperiential School, Gurugram; DPS International School, Gurugram; Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur; Oberoi International School, Mumbai; Oakridge International School, Gachibowli, Hyderabad and Mahindra International School, Pune.
The cost of attending International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in India varies significantly based on factors such as the school's location, reputation, facilities, and the specific IB programme offered. On average, annual tuition fees range from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
The world of education provides you a plethora of choices. Today you can shop for the right board, based on your child’s aptitude and attitude. But opt for IB for the right reasons. According to Aditi Misra, Founder Principal of DPS Sector-45, Gurugram- a CBSE school, “You should know your child well enough. If you think your child is an independent thinker, can construct knowledge, has aspirations to go overseas, go for IB. But if s/he is very keen to do medicine and you don’t want to burden the child with two curricula and two different kinds of studies (as one has to read NCERT books for competitive exams) then opt for a board which is more aligned with competitive exams like the CBSE. Also evaluate whether it suits your pocket. Don’t join the school and then become a fee defaulter. If you take a school which is too far away from home then children tend to not get involved in co-curriculars as that involves stay backs. Time to return home gets that much more delayed.”
She says the coming of international boards opens up options. Says Misra- “Parents have more choice now. Earlier it was just CBSE and state board but state board no one wants now as its restricting. Then came ICSE, GCSE, IB. But please don’t be prejudiced by these biases such as IB is easy, ICSE is bulky, CBSE is only about memorizing stuff. Please choose according to the basic temperament of your child and your pocket.”
Is the teacher's teaching methodology radically different? According to Mumbai based Bhuvi Modi who has taught at IB schools in Mumbai such as Ecole Mondiale world school and Oberoi International School Mumbai, “If a CBSE teacher walks inside a classroom they walk in with a structured curriculum and specific learning objectives to be delivered. The focus is on preparing students for competitive exams and higher education in India. While an IB teacher’s approach is different. The emphasis is on inquiry-based learning, thinking out of the box and developing holistic students. An effective IB teacher is a facilitator, mentor whose primary role is to foster internationally minded students.”
A child educated in the IB system may develop certain different types of skill sets. Says Bhuvi- “Students in the IB schools are expected to be engaged in collaborative projects from their foundation years of PYP moving to MYP and finally the IB DP programme. While the CBSE system may have fewer opportunities to do project-based learning; however, this may vary depending on the school and its approach. Overall, students from both boards excel in their own ways and these differences are not absolute and can vary depending on schools, teachers and individual students' aspirations.”
That said, the IB curriculum can be intensive, demanding a high level of self-discipline from students and active involvement from parents. Add to that the limited availability of IB schools in India and significantly higher fees—and it’s clear the programme isn’t for everyone. The annual fees vary depending on the infrastructure, resources, quality of educators and some IB schools even cater to the niche market to justify their cost. For instance, DPS annual fees is Rs. 2 per annum compared to Pathways Gurgaon 4-5 Lac per year and the American School of Delhi is Rs. 27.6 per annum.
On the flipside, the IB education system is definitely more costly compared to the CBSE. Also IB education may not be suitable for all students. IB students need to balance coursework with other components of the IB programme that is, writing the extended essay, completing the theory of knowledge, participating in the creative action service which requires 150 hours, thus making it demanding and hectic for the child. For some students, particularly those who have little interest in global studies or prefer the conventional Indian style learning methods, IB may not be their best bet.
IB doesn’t sync well with entrance tests like IIT-JEE, NEET, CUET. These exams demand speed, accuracy, and practice in MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions), while IB is focused on essays, projects, and analytical thinking. Students often need additional coaching to prepare for Indian exams. Indian history, culture, and values may not be covered in detail. Some parents feel this disconnects children from their roots — less focus on regional languages, Indian ethos, or local relevance. IB schools are mostly in metros or Tier-1 cities. Even in those places, only a handful are truly top-tier; many others are IB "in name", but don’t deliver the expected quality.
Who is running the school matters a lot irrespective of which board. Parents must check who are the key administrators and what is their vision. As much as AI is advancing and everybody is talking about it, the need of the hour is human connection and irrespective of board, if there is thrust on human aspect, your child is in safe hands and future is secure.
Says Aditi Misra, “Among the 21st century skills for me the two most important are communication and collaboration. Both necessitate a human connection. Every morning, we have a circle time for children right from nursery to class 12 where we encourage the children to share their "hurt stories". Sometimes you can sense something is not right and you begin a false story that one of my friends has done something that has hurt me. And then more hurt stories come tumbling out from the group. The ground rule is that these stories will not go out of the four walls of this room. And then we explain that people will hurt you, but one has to build resilience and get ready to face things. This was one of the tactics we had to employ post pandemic as we observed that children just went quiet, were simply not speaking after being locked up in rooms. ”
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How to Select The Right Board for Your Child?
Choose IB if:
• You want your child to study abroad
• You value research, writing, and critical thinking
• Budget is not a constraint
Choose CBSE if:
• You’re targeting Indian entrance exams (IIT, NEET, CUET)
• You want a strong academic foundation at a reasonable cost
• You’re looking for widespread school availability
Choose ICSE if:
• You want balanced academics with strong English and humanities
• Your child is a language lover or all-rounder
• You may or may not send them abroad
Choose IGCSE if:
• You want an international curriculum with flexibility
• Your child may move countries
• You value depth and creativity in learning
Latest Data from Ministry of Education:
· Total no. of CBSE schools in India in 2025 - 30,000+
Last official data 2023 dec was – 28,486
· Total no. of ICSE schools in India – 2,500-3,000
· Total no. Of IGCSE schools in India - 900-1,200
· Total no. of International Baccalaureate Schools - 220
According to the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization, as of October 2024, India hosts over 220 schools offering more than 378 IB programmes. This positions India among the top countries globally in terms of the number of IB World Schools.
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