Mathematics has been set as a compulsory subject in Kenya’s senior secondary school system, reversing an earlier proposal to make it optional following uproar from professionals, who faulted the proposal.

Speaking during the National Conversation on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) on Thursday, April 24, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said some form of mathematics will be made compulsory in all three career pathways offered 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 [Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development], and reached a resolution that some form of mathematics be made compulsory for the other two pathways that are not STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics],” CS Ogamba announced.

According to the ministry, students under the STEM pathway will learn pure mathematics, while their peers taking other two career pathways will have a simpler version of maths. 

"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.

The u-turn by the ministry comes after weeks of intense public discourse and concerns over the long-term implications of excluding mathematics from certain learning tracks. 

Stakeholders raised concerns with respect to the readiness and economic resilience of Kenya’s workforce in the absence of math skills.

On March 19, CS Ogamba said CBC differs significantly from the earlier 8-4-4 system, pointing out that mathematics was compulsory in the STEM pathway, while for students pursuing arts or social sciences, the subject was optional.

This decision sparked uproar from professional groups, Kenyans and leaders, who said making math an option could negatively impact Kenya’s workforce in future. 

“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.

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