Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos has announced that Mathematics will remain a compulsory subject for all senior school learners, reversing an earlier government plan to make it optional.
Speaking during the National Conversation on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) on Thursday, Migos said the decision was made after extensive consultations with stakeholders across the country.
Most participants in the CBC dialogues supported the inclusion of Mathematics in the senior school curriculum.
Under the revised guidelines, students who choose the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) pathway will study advanced Mathematics. Those in the remaining two pathways will take a simplified version of the subject.
“Some form of Mathematics will be made compulsory for the two pathways that are not STEM. STEM students will take pure Maths, while the others will still learn a form of it,” said CS Migos, adding that discussions had also been held with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
This decision follows a previous announcement by the Ministry of Education that Mathematics would no longer be a mandatory subject under the CBC at senior secondary level. That proposal had marked a significant shift from the 8-4-4 system, where Mathematics was a core subject.
According to the CBC structure, students will take four compulsory subjects: English or Kenya Sign Language, Kiswahili, Physical Education, and Community Service Learning. In addition, they will select three subjects from a pool of 38 options, depending on their interests and career goals.
The initial plan to make Mathematics optional faced backlash from education stakeholders. The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) opposed the move, warning that it would negatively affect learners’ academic and professional futures.
“KUPPET rejects the government’s proposal to make Mathematics an optional subject at the senior school level,” said acting Secretary General Moses Nthurima.
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