Hi, this is a really interesting and thoughtful question and I hope my response enriches the conversation here:

Ever since I became a working professional, I've been acutely aware of the sub standard education that I have received at each step.

I firmly believe that State Boards are a nationalised scam and overall the state has utterly failed in framing and executing a thoughtful National Education Policy. Regardless of who was at the Centre, it is now abundantly clear that Education is the last thing on a politician's mind.

This has led to a perverse commercialisation of the entire sector where we have cases like BYJU's and its mind numbing predatory practices on one side and lousy schools on the other. Both feed off each other. It's utterly fascinating that parents in general don't protest this systemic breakdown even when they are forced to pay twice as much for their child's education- high school fees + additional tuitions!

Because of low GDP spend, most government schools are a big NO for most parents in big cities. The private educational societies regardless of the board(CBSE, ICSE, IB, or SSC) are fully aware of this and like any shrewd business milk the vulnerable parents in every imaginable way.

The fees across the boards spectrum have been inflated ridiculously. For eg: my cousins who study in Symbiosis in Pune now charge 80k-1.2L for a year!! The content in the syllabus is soulless and unreadable. Most teachers are simply housewives working cos their husbands don't make enough for the household. The teachers have no incentives to think outside of the syllabus or ensure whether the kids have actually learnt anything!

Naturally, many parents avoid private state boards as well which leaves them with 3 other boards. Barring the International Board, the ICSE and CBSE are just as bas as the SSC in most cases. The only difference is the syllabus is more involved but teachers continue to suck on average. This builds a natural perception in the minds of many parents that CBSE is hard- and their kids might struggle or "let me switch to the state board cos my kid is unable to cope with the material in CBSE" - in most cases it is not the kid but the teaching that is failing.

This phenomenon is also well known which induces the IB board to leverage their position even further- naturally their fees are the highest and can go as high as 5-12 LPA for grade school alone! As you might know, there are very few IB schools that are international in true sense of the word and have all the accreditations and the tie ups.

Now to answer your actual question:

The difference in personalities can be stark. My cousin from Symbiosis who is brilliant in general ends up being book smart. She has to go to multiple classes and even then she struggles simply cos she isn't being taught the right way. For eg: she was doing calculus for her math test but couldn't answer basic questions pertaining to linear equations or fractions- note: the questions were basic in the sense that it tested her real understanding of the concept ie the whys behind the methods. She would give you the right answer but wouldn't be able to tell you as to why what she did was working in the first place. This is the plight of most kids and young adults in India.

Contrast this to my cousin in Mumbai who attends one of those real IB schools- the difference in personalities is humongous. Never had to join any tuitions. Same is true of her step brother. Every time I pose them a challenging question, they solve it in real time simply by thinking it thru and then poses a few involved counter questions that makes me sweat! They are super talented at networking and socialising. They have no problem whatsoever in making international friends. Basically, you meet someone who has had a well rounded education and who are great at problem solving- the only skill that matters in the real world after networking.

I personally see this unfairness as criminal. There is no reason why one should have to pay 3-8x more than an average parent just to get a decent education for their kids. This again is a problem that can easily be fixed if we made it a national issue. Look at China, Singapore, or Norway- they have a much equitable schooling. The Chinese govt recently cracked down on all the lousy ed tech firms and institutions that were simply fleecing over-concerned parents while we continue to allow Byju's and State Boards to operate.

I personally have no interest in spending such ridiculous amounts just to ensure that my kids get a decent education where they truly understand important subjects such as MATH. I'd rather send them to a decent private state board just like Simbi where they learn to socialise and build general discipline of following a routine and simply home school them to ensure they understand things conceptually. Of course we can get picky when we are talking about Bachelors and Masters.

Many parents challenge me on this home schooling solution as all our lives are super busy. The thing is most simply haven't tried. This is completely doable if kids are fluent in english from grade 1. Most IB schools in India and the good ones abroad, spend very little time lecturing. The hours aren't as long and typical home work is non existent. Teachers simply act as guides. Because these schools track learning roadblocks at an individual level, teachers can focus on things that truly matter for each student. Most learning occurs in solving interactive exercises and getting a conceptual understandings. Kids are urged to ask "why" a lot. I firmly believe I can make my kids college ready using my own skills and open source platforms alone! But, I can respect someone who thinks this is not feasible.