Kenya, March 14 -- The Ministry of Education is making big changes to the school system with the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for students moving to Grade 10. One major change is that Math will no longer be a required subject for students.
In the old 8-4-4 system, students had to take Math along with English, Kiswahili, and at least two science subjects (Physics, Chemistry, or Biology). Now, in senior school, students can choose not to study Math.
In senior school, every student must take four main subjects:
Students can then pick three extra subjects based on the path they want to follow. These paths are divided into three groups: Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The first group, Arts and Sports Science includes subjects like Fine Arts, Music and Dance, Theatre and Film, Physical Education, Sports, and Recreation.
The second group, Social Sciences, has subjects like Business Studies, History, Geography, Christian Religious Education (CRE), Islamic Religious Education (IRE), Hindu Religious Education (HRE), Community Service Learning, and Languages and Literature.
The third group, STEM, includes subjects related to Pure Sciences-like Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and General Science-as well as Applied Sciences, which cover Agriculture, Computer Science, and Home Science. Technical Studies also fall under this group.
The Ministry has stated that starting in January 2026, around 60% of current Grade Nine students should choose STEM subjects in senior school.
Belio Kipsang, the Basic Education Principal Secretary, mentioned that students will begin choosing their subjects in the second term. This gives them time in the first term to think about their options and talk with their parents before making a choice.
"We want to give them time to discuss with their parents about their interests and what they would like to study. The subject selection will begin as soon as they return to school," Kipsang told The Standard.
Additionally, the Ministry plans to limit the number of students from one junior secondary school who can join the same senior school to a maximum of five.
This change aims to encourage variety in school placements, but some people think this might be too ambitious, especially for day schools that mainly accept students from nearby areas.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.