KNEC Claims Mathematics Should Be Optional in Senior Secondary School
According to education sector officials, Mathematics will only be required in primary and junior secondary schools.
Julius Nyabundi, chairman of the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec), stated yesterday that primary and junior-level mathematics are sufficient for developing understanding of the subject. It also came to light that, over the years, secondary school students have performed worse in Mathematics than they did on end-of-primary-school examinations.
Analysis of the KCPE and KCSE exams reveals that students demonstrate commendable mathematical skills at the end of primary school, according to Andrew Otieno, Knec deputy director of Quality Assurance and Archives. However, there is a significant drop in performance when they take their Form. Four tests.
For instance, a review of the 2022 exam reveals that more than 80% of Class Eight students earned grades A to D+, but only 17.46% of students in the KCSE did.
Students’ final examinations in secondary school in Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia were prioritized over those of Kenyan candidates due to their poor showing. Otieno, on the other hand, attributed this to the inflexible grading and evaluation procedures rather than a challenging curriculum.
“This emphasizes the necessity of rethinking core subjects in senior school, guaranteeing that only students whose courses need it take mathematics,” he stated.
He spoke yesterday at the inauguration of the second Knec Annual Symposium on Competency-Based Assessment, which was held in Nairobi.
Nyabundi stated in an interview conducted on the sidelines of the symposium that by the end of junior secondary school, students will have acquired the necessary mathematical literacy, thus defeating the aim of making it mandatory in senior secondary school.
“He said, “The Competency-Based Curriculum aims to improve foundational skills by the conclusion of junior secondary school (Grade 9).
To enhance overall academic and learning outcomes, Nyabundi stated that the emphasis might change to subjects that align with students’ strengths, such as vocational skills or humanities.
This follows a outcry from some members of the public after the Ministry of Education announced that Mathematics would be an elective subject at advanced levels. Rather, the mandatory courses would be Physical Education, Community Service Learning, and English, Kiswahili, or Kenyan Sign Language.
However, it is anticipated that up to 60% of senior secondary students will choose mathematics as they follow the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) route.
Otieno contended that making mathematics mandatory is detrimental to students who are predisposed to the arts.
According to Knec, the modification might help remedy the “dismal pass rate below 30 percent” in KCSE mathematics.
He also asserted that a similar trend may be seen among many national examination boards in the area.
Simultaneously, it has been argued that Community Service Learning and Physical Education should be compulsory courses.
According to Eunice Gachoka of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, studies have demonstrated that Physical Education contributes to the holistic development of students.
“Physical Education is regarded as a mandatory subject because it has been shown to contribute to the overall development of a student, whether it be in psychomotor skills, coordination, or cognitive growth,” she stated.
According to her, Community Service Learning would foster a responsible and patriotic populace. This was as several speakers addressed the decline of patriotism and social values among Kenyans.
