Java (School Level Programming, ICSE/ISC focus)

Who should learn & When: Java has been the cornerstone of ICSE (Class 9-10) and ISC (Class 11-12) Computer Science curriculum for many years. So, any student in ICSE board taking Computer Applications (in class 9-10) or Computer Science (in class 11-12) will be learning Java. Typically, ICSE introduces Java in class 9. CBSE used to have C++ (earlier) but switched to Python; however, CBSE still has an optional subject “Computer Science (Old)” in some places that had Java, but largely Java is now primarily an ICSE domain in schools. Students in ICSE should definitely focus on Java to excel in board exams. Additionally, any student interested in programming can benefit from learning Java as it builds strong fundamentals (it’s a bit more verbose than Python, but great for understanding Object Oriented Programming). Some schools (non-ICSE) might teach Java as part of clubs or additional courses (like an AP Computer Science course or similar). But ICSE students (Classes 9-10) and ISC students (Classes 11-12) are the main ones who must learn Java.

Academic Importance: In ICSE Class 10 (Computer Applications), students are expected to know the basics of Java programming – this includes simple programs, using the BlueJ environment (which ICSE prefers), concepts of classes and objects, methods, constructors, basic string manipulations, arithmetic and logical operations, if/else, loops, etc. The ICSE exam typically involves writing short programs or code snippets by hand. In ISC Class 12 (Computer Science), Java is taken to a higher level: covering advanced topics like inheritance, encapsulation, arrays and array sorting/searching algorithms, data structures (like stacks, queues via arrays), recursion, and a bit of algorithmic complexity in the syllabus【65†L21-L29】. They also include SQL queries in the CS paper but Java is the programming focus. Learning Java thoroughly is crucial to score well in these board exams since output questions and programming questions form a major part. Moreover, ISC practical exam requires students to write and execute Java programs (commonly using BlueJ) – so hands-on Java skill is needed.

Career/Skill Importance: Java is a widely-used programming language in enterprise software development and Android app development. A strong foundation in Java from school can lead students to perform well in college CS courses (where Java/C++ often feature). It also helps in competitive programming in college. For those not pursuing CS, Java still imparts logical thinking and understanding of OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) concepts like classes and objects which apply to many other languages. If a student is inclined towards software engineering, knowing Java can open up making simple applications or games early on, or contribute to open-source projects at a young age (there are many beginner-friendly Java projects). Many Indian students also appear for informatics Olympiads or competitive exams; having Java knowledge is beneficial for those as well (though C++ is more common in Olympiads, Java is allowed and used by some). In summary, academically it’s for ICSE/ISC, but career-wise it’s a fundamental skill that can lead to learning languages like C# or moving into mobile app coding (Android uses Java/Kotlin).