Mathematics is reinstated as a required course by Education CS Julius Ogamba.
Julius Ogamba, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, has ordered that mathematics be reintroduced in some form as a required course in senior high schools.
Ogamba announced at the National Conversation on the Competency-Based Curriculum on Thursday that the ministry has taken the concerns of the stakeholders into consideration and decided that some form of mathematics should be required in all pathways.
“Most of the stakeholders in the CBC dialogue believed that mathematics should be required in high school. We have taken your worries into consideration, sought advice from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), and decided that some form of mathematics be required for the two non-STEM pathways,” Ogamba said.
With this new direction, students who selected the STEM route will study pure mathematics, while the other two routes will cover a less complicated version of the subject, according to the CS.
The CS said that in senior school, we will have maths in all three pathways by having the STEM pathway include pure math and the other two pathways include a form of mathematics.
The ministry had instructed that, in contrast to the 8-4-4 curriculum, where mathematics was a required subject, senior school students now had the option of choosing their courses in mathematics.
The ministry divided the pathways into three categories: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science. Students who selected the first two pathways had the option of skipping mathematics.
But Ogamba has changed his mind and ordered that there be some kind of math course for both of these routes.
Following the developments, there were heated discussions among Kenyans and key players who claimed that the decision was not wise and that it presented difficulties that may have an impact on the economic viability and labor force of the country. This led him to attempt to reverse the action.
In an effort to improve the CBC curriculum, which has come under fire, the Ministry has taken Kenyans’ and stakeholders’ views seriously, the CS has said.
Ogamba said, “It is a crucial element that we have heard the opinions of the Kenyans, and it is a significant contribution from the stakeholders that demonstrates the value of stakeholder dialogue.”
This new action has received Ogamba’s request for backing from Kenyans and the stakeholders.
The transition to the CBC in Kenya is now being actively addressed by the CS and Principal Secretary Julius Bitok. Their primary goal is to address issues such as teacher readiness, school infrastructure, and public concerns about the implementation of the CBC while also ensuring the quality of education.
