This is a really good question, and one we have given a lot of thought about since we arrived in the jungle.
Just like you, we also moved to the jungle to escape the mundanity of life in a modern city or town. We wanted something raw and exciting. We wanted to feel close to nature and not constrained by arbitrary rules of others, or seemingly pointless, everyday tasks. And when it comes to the arbitrary and the mundane, most will agree, exams check all these boxes.
It seems like a weird contradiction, to want to impose exams upon our hummingbird, free-spirited children.
That said, it has taken us all many years to finally arrive in the jungle. Maybe we will stay forever? Maybe our time is limited here? Who can tell?
What is certain is that in the future, our precious hummingbirds will fly away from the nest of Costa Rica and explore lives elsewhere. Only a few will remain in the jungle forever. We believe that the enriching lifestyle that our kids are experiencing now will make them persuasive and influential individuals, wherever their chosen life path takes them.
In order to thrive in the greater world, it is necessary for us to equip our kids with some essential tools. Tools that others, who have led less fortunate and exotic lives, will recognize. Otherwise we may hinder our children on their life path before they even start.
This is why we are fully committed to having all our students achieve good grades in English, Spanish, Math, Science and a Humanity through the IGCSE program from the ages of 14 to 16. The IGCE certification is the most recognized international exam in the world. We have written extensively on this here.
What we don't want is for a future university, college, apprenticeship or employer to look at our children and think, I have no point of reference for you. Clearly, you've led an interesting life, but my life is dominated by checked-boxes and clear-cut categories. Please come back when you have something I can understand and sign-off on.
Having spent five years here in the jungle, we have seen this many times. where older teens are left scrambling to get some kind of accreditation that the outside world will genuinely recognize. Sure their parents think they're the most gifted kids on Earth, but the harsh reality is the University of Mum doesn't cut it. Our Hummingbirds will need a solid educational foundation in all the fundamentals, that is globally recognizable and not questionable.
On top of this, even though the world is changing rapidly, our children will still need to learn how to have some old-skool grit and tenacity. Knowing what it's like to start something and then finish it, even if it gets hard. A feeling of being proud of the effort that was invested into an important activity.
Too many times we see criticism that the kids of today have no staying power, and all too often their parents allow them to give up as soon as it becomes difficult, uncomfortable or hard. We don't want this for our students. We want them to experience all of life, and sometimes this involves having to knuckle-down and get the work done.
It's undeniable that well thought-out and universally accepted exams embody this. Exams shouldn't dominate our children's educational portfolio, like they do back home. However, students will need to show that they have the ability and discipline to succeed when asked, and exams are a means towards this end.
In full GCSE schools, children can take up to 10 subjects. Why? Well, because the government requires students to be in school full-time, so there is ample time for them during the school day to study a much broader collection of exams. Here in the Jungle, our children are exposed to so many projects and activities that regular students could only dream of. Therefore, it's essential that our Jungle Kids have the time to deep dive into the things they love. At Jungle Academy we will be requiring our IGCSE students to study only five, maybe six essential exams. Leaving ample time for the other educational activities that they love.
How this will look in reality will be discussed in the next post in this series.
R.
Agreed. It will give them a good platform from which to follow whatever path they choose.
It is something very special that they are experiencing now at jungle academy. Something they probably won’t truly appreciate until they have had their own chance to experience the world on their own merits. But with a ‘fist full’ of IGCSEs our children will be enabled more choice and a fairer starting pony if/when they choose to go off into the world at large.
I look forward to finding out more in part 2