File image of President William Ruto with Education CS Julius Ogamba.
The Ministry of Education has announced that the government will reinstate some form of mathematics in the Senior Secondary Schools across all pathways.
Speaking on Thursday, April 24, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the government has listened to concerns raised by stakeholders and resolved to make maths compulsory in Senior School.
“The majority of the stakeholders during the CBC dialogue were of the view that Mathematics as a subject should be compulsory in senior school. We have listened to your concerns, consulted with KICD, and reached a resolution that some form of mathematics be made compulsory for the other two pathways that are not STEM,” Ogamba announced.
The Education CS noted that students pursuing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pathway will continue to study pure mathematics.
Meanwhile, learners in the Arts and Sports Science and Social Sciences pathways will take a simplified version of the subject.
“The STEM pathway will have pure Maths while the other two pathways will have a form of Maths so that we have Maths in all three pathways in senior school,” he added.
In the CBC system, unlike the previous 8-4-4 curriculum, where mathematics was mandatory, students were allowed to drop the subject depending on their chosen pathway.
The move sparked widespread debate among education stakeholders and the public, with some of the netizens arguing that the move to drop Maths as a mandatory subject could impact Kenya’s workforce.
The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) protested against the decision by the Ministry of Education on March 17.
“Mathematics, in particular, is the language of engineering and technology, underpinning design, optimisation, problem-solving, and data analysis in fields ranging from civil and electrical engineering to artificial intelligence and renewable energy,” the Institution stated.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, also observed that the move could have negative ramifications on intellectual and academic development.
“Not a good idea at all. Highly probable, Kenya might be the only country to do so. Hence, its effect is unknown and probably bad,” Kang’ata stated.
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