British vs CBSE? Intercurriculum transfer?
Hello, I apologise if my query has been answered before
My son turns 3 on Aug 4 2017. It overshoots the cut off period of CBSE curriculum schools by 4 days – or else he could have joined KG 1 at a CBSE school the next year. But as per KHDA guidelines, he is fine to join FS1 in September 2017. My perception of the current CBSE system is that children are overburdened and find little time for other activities, which I find unacceptable ( Please correct me if I am wrong). I believe in a more holistic development of the child – nurturing talents and activities, emphasis on personality traits – all going at par with effort in academic progress. This makes me think about the British curriculum.
My queries therefore are :
a. If we are indeed considering the CBSE curriculum, since he has overshot the deadline by merely 4 days, is there a possibility of a grace period? Or is it a hard and fast rule? Because if we are deciding for a CBSE system, we would miss out on one whole year?
b. I had called up a Scholars International Academy in Sharjah, and they said my son would be eligible for FS1 only in September 2018. Which got me confused? Why the discrepancy?
c. We plan to relocate to India in another 6 years, and then in all probability my son would be enrolled in an ICSE/ CBSE system. How difficult is it going to be to adapt? It might not be a problem in India as academic year starts in June and he would pop in by end June -ish, so wouldnt find it hard to adapt. But in case we dont return, and plan to continue here in UAE, is it possible for a curriculum shift then? Or would he lose a year?
(eg : If he completes Year 3 ( ? equivalent to Grade 2 in CBSE) in June 2022, what grade would he join into in an Indian school?
I know I have been asking too many questions 😉 Hope someone can shed clarity on these queries of mine.
Hi Raxas,
Thanks for your questions which I will take in order.
a) The cut off date rule for CBSE/ICSE schools is fixed and there is no grace period. This is to comply with the Ministry of Education rule on this matter.
b) Most other Emirates follow a cut off date of 31st December which means that your son would need to be 3 years and 8 months to start school. The exception is Dubai where UK curriculum schools are permitted to start FS1 children at 3 years on 1st September since this is in line with the curriculum in the UK. However, there are many UK curriculum schools catering to mainly non-UK passport holders who do not apply this rule – so again, children are often required to be 3 years and 8 months. You will need to check with the individual schools to see which date they apply.
c) The form of teaching in UK curriculum and Indian curriculum schools is quite different and the longer your son remains in a UK curriculum school, the harder he may find it to adapt. Generally, the UK curriculum is more focused on independent learning and in the early years, learning through play, rather than the very structured approach of most Indian schools. This is therefore something you should consider when considering a change of curriculum.
In terms of the age/grade, I cannot advise you on the rules in India in relation to children transferring from the UAE. If the situation were here in the UAE, since your son would have completed year 3/grade 2, he should be promoted to grade 3 for the new academic year, but I am not aware as to whether there are age-related requirements and I suspect the decision would also involve an assessment to ensure that he is able to cope with the curriculum content.
