The government has reversed its earlier plan to exclude mathematics from certain senior secondary school pathways under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed the change on Thursday, revealing that mathematics will now be compulsory for all senior school students, regardless of their academic track.
The decision comes after widespread backlash from education professionals, parents, and the general public, who strongly criticized the proposal to scrap mathematics as a core subject for non-STEM students. The Ministry of Education reviewed feedback from public participation forums and ultimately decided to reintroduce the subject across all pathways.
“Most stakeholders who participated in the CBC dialogue insisted that mathematics must remain a compulsory subject in senior school,” Ogamba said. “We have taken your views seriously, consulted with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), and resolved to reintroduce some form of mathematics in the two non-STEM pathways.”
Under the revised directive, students in 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 tracks will take a simplified version of the subject.
“We will have pure maths in the STEM pathway, while the other two pathways will include a form of maths. This ensures mathematics remains part of all three senior school pathways,” Ogamba clarified.
Initially, the CBC system allowed students to drop mathematics depending on their academic track, marking a departure from the 8-4-4 curriculum where maths was compulsory for everyone. Only STEM students were previously required to study the subject.
Ogamba emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to listening to the public and improving the CBC.
“Your voices matter. As a Ministry, we take your concerns seriously as we work to refine and strengthen the CBC, which, despite its good intentions, has faced significant criticism,” he affirmed.
