Choosing the right school for a child is one of the most significant decisions parents make. Several factors come into play, and choosing the curriculum that best aligns with their child’s character and aspirations is among the most important. In India, this is particularly complex, given the diverse range of curricula on offer.

 

In recent years, traditional Indian curricula, such as the CBSE, have been joined by schools offering international qualifications, like IGCSE and the IB. Indian parents’ enthusiasm for an international education is reflected in the rapid increase in students enrolling at international schools, 40% between 2020 and 2024. India now has close to 1000 international schools, making it the second largest hub for international institutes in the world (ISC Research 2025 report)

So, what is it about these international curricula that appeals?

It is a truism that education struggles to keep up with the pace at which our world is changing. Such is the pace of change that employers are looking for employees who are self-sufficient learners and who respond to change with flexible pragmatism. International schools and examination boards have moved more quickly to incorporate these priorities into their curricula designs than their domestic counterparts. Cambridge International Education (CIE), for example, has explicitly designed its courses so that they “encourage students to be creative and critical thinkers, resourceful collaborators and communicators, and confident problem solvers – ready for the world”. CIE’s approach to preparing pupils for ‘the world’ is one of the main reasons why we have adopted it as our academic curriculum at Shrewsbury International School India.

A key differentiator for most international schools is the integration of the extra-curricular activities into the education they deliver. At Shrewsbury in India, we consider our extracurricular provision as our ‘second classroom’; it is an essential component of how we educate the whole person. By encouraging our pupils to engage with a wide range sports, activities, clubs and societies, they have the best of opportunity to explore where their true passions lie and to cultivate essential life skills.  

Internationally recognised qualifications emphasise inquiry-based learning through interdisciplinary projects, fostering the practical flexibility of mind needed to make a competitive application to top global universities. In the past decade, international examination boards have received significant attention from the government and private educational bodies alike. There is an evident shift from the didactic rote learning to promoting pedagogies that foster critical thinking and international competence.


International schools are already well placed to prepare pupils for a world in which we are witnessing the resurgence of international pluralism. Never has it been more important for people to understand differing cultural perspectives and learn how to communicate across cultures. By their very nature, international schools provide excellent opportunities for developing skills within this domain. This often includes opportunities to participate in exchange programmes with schools abroad, gaining first-hand intercultural experience that sharpens the pupil’s confidence and self-awareness.
When choosing a school for their child, a school’s curriculum is just one of many considerations. Deciding on the best curriculum for a child is a good way to start shortlisting schools, but no amount of desktop research will give you a real sense of how a school ‘feels’. Parents need to know whether a school’s culture is a match for their child. Getting that sense can only be accomplished by meeting the head of the school and, if possible, visiting the school’s campus.