WILLEMSTAD – From Dutch forests and freshwater ecosystems to mangroves, dry vegetation and coral reefs, Carmabi Education has developed new biology supplements that allow secondary school students in Curaçao to learn the subject using examples from their own environment.
The materials have been developed for upper-level VSBO, HAVO and VWO students and complement Biologie voor Jou, the Dutch biology curriculum currently used at schools in Curaçao. The topics follow the same sequence as the existing textbooks, allowing teachers and students to use the new materials alongside the standard curriculum.
The main difference is the local context. When students study subjects such as ecology, the environment and sustainability, they can now work with examples involving Curaçao’s coral reefs, mangroves, native plants and animals and environmental challenges affecting the island.
According to Carmabi, many biology textbooks used locally were originally written for students in the Netherlands. As a result, examples involving Dutch landscapes and ecosystems do not always connect naturally with the everyday environment of young people growing up in Curaçao.
The new materials are intended to bridge that gap without changing the core curriculum. Students continue learning the same biological concepts but encounter them through examples they can recognize from their own surroundings.
Carmabi has also taken Curaçao’s different languages of instruction into account. The materials for VSBO students in PBL, PKL and TKL are available in Papiamentu and Dutch, while those for HAVO and VWO are available in Dutch and English.
Despite the greater emphasis on Curaçao, the materials remain aligned with examination requirements. Carmabi says students will continue acquiring the knowledge and skills required for their school examinations and central final examinations.
“Good education begins with knowledge, but becomes truly meaningful when students can connect that knowledge to the world around them,” Carmabi Education said.
According to the organization, Curaçao’s natural environment is not intended to replace the required examination material, but rather to serve as a starting point for helping students understand it more effectively.
A significant number of schools in Curaçao have already included the new biology materials on their book lists.
Preview copies are available through Carmabi’s website.