EDUCATION: Gov’t Reinstates Mathematics As A Compulsory Subject
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has ordered that some sort of mathematics be returned as a compulsory subject in senior secondary schools.
Ogamba indicated that the ministry listened to stakeholders’ concerns and decided to make some type of mathematics compulsory in all pathways.
On Thursday, the CS spoke at the National Conversation on Competency-Based Curriculum.
“The majority of the stakeholders during the CBC dialogue were of the view that mathematics should be compulsory in senior school,” Ogamba directed.
“We have listened to your concerns, consulted with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), and reached a resolution that some form of mathematics be made compulsory for the other two pathways that are not STEM.”
This afternoon, I had the honour of addressing the Kenya National Schools Principals Retreat at the Travellers Beach Hotel in Mombasa.
— Julius Migos Ogamba, EBS (@HonJuliusMigos) April 23, 2025
I underscored the importance of strong leadership in advancing the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), pic.twitter.com/88kjvhUEtJ
According to the CS, with this new orientation, students who choose the STEM road will study pure arithmetic, whilst the other two pathways will study a simplified version of mathematics.
“We will have the STEM pathways having pure maths and the other two pathways having a form of maths so that we have maths in all three pathways in senior school,” the CS explained.
In contrast to the 8-4-4 curriculum, which made mathematics an obligatory subject, the government mandated that students in high school now had the option to quit the subject based on the courses they choose.
The ministry divided the pathways into three categories: Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), with children who choose the first two options being able to skip math.
Ogamba has, however, overturned his position and instructed that these two pathways include some type of mathematics.
His decision to revoke the judgment follows heated debates among Kenyans and related parties.
They said that it was a poor decision that would jeopardize Kenya’s workforce and economic viability.
The CS assured Kenyans and the stakeholders that their opinions in the education system are valued, and the Ministry takes them seriously in a bid to streamline the CBC curriculum that has received criticism.
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“It is an important aspect that we have listened to the views of the Kenyans, and it is an important input that has come from the stakeholders to show that stakeholder conversation is important,” Ogamba said.
Ogamba has invited stakeholders and Kenyans at large to support this new initiative.
Currently, the CS and Principal Secretary, Julius Bitok, are aggressively tackling Kenya’s CBC transition.
Their priority is to ensure quality education while addressing issues such as teacher preparedness, school infrastructure, and public concerns about CBC implementation.
EDUCATION: Gov’t Reinstates Mathematics As A Compulsory Subject
