KNEC Justifies Decision to Eliminate Mandatory Mathematics in Senior School.
Education stakeholders have stressed that Mathematics will only be required at the primary and junior secondary school levels. According to Julius Nyabundi, Chair of the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), learners are well-prepared for life and higher education by the foundational skills in arithmetic acquired during these stages.
According to Nyabundi, the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was developed to enhance numeracy until Grade 9, thus removing the requirement for the topic to be compulsory in senior school. He suggested that students in senior secondary school concentrate on subjects that align with their abilities, such as vocational or humanities courses, in order to improve academic performance and encourage greater involvement.
Senior secondary students have consistently performed poorly in Mathematics, with data showing a significant decline from primary school outcomes. National examination analyses show a significant drop in Mathematics performance between KCPE and KCSE, according to Andrew Otieno, KNEC Deputy Director for Quality Assurance and Archives.
For example, more than 80% of students in the 2022 KCPE Mathematics examination earned grades A to D+. However, just 17.46% of students stayed in that performance range by the time they took the KCSE. These numbers rank Kenya lower than Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia in secondary Mathematics results.
Otieno claimed that a stringent grading and evaluation system, rather than a challenging curriculum, was to blame for this drop. He highlighted that Mathematics should only be a core subject for students whose future courses require it, and that the current system discourages learners, especially those not following STEM paths.
Senior School Mathematics Option
The Ministry of Education’s decision to make Mathematics elective in senior high school has ignited controversy. English, Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language, Physical Education, and Community Service Learning will be part of the core required courses under the new framework.
Despite the opposition, forecasts show thataround 60% of senior school students will continue to choose Mathematics, particularly those following the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) path. Otieno cautioned, however, that making Mathematics mandatory could impede students who are more interested in the arts.
KNEC reiterated that changing subject requirements could help solve the “dismal pass rate below 30 per cent” seen in KCSE Mathematics. Otieno also pointed out that other regional testing systems follow similar procedures.
Curriculum developers have justified making Community Service Learning and Physical Education mandatory subjects. Eunice Gachoka of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development pointed out studies that support the importance of Physical Education in overall learner health, cognitive growth, and psychomotor coordination.
Community Service Learning, she continued, is crucial for developing responsible and patriotic citizens, especially at a time when national values seem to be declining. The necessity of character-building elements in education to combat diminishing social values in the nation was reiterated by speakers at the KNEC symposium.
KNEC Justifies Decision to Eliminate Mandatory Mathematics in Senior School.