Mathematics to be optional at Senior Secondary School- Knec Says
Leaders within the education domain have insisted that Mathematics will be mandatory only in primary and junior secondary school.
Chairman of the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec), Julius Nyabundi, stated yesterday that Mathematics at the primary and junior levels is sufficient for establishing understanding in the subject. It also became apparent that the performance in Mathematics in secondary schools over the years has been poor when compared to end-of-primary-school assessments.
Andrew Otieno, Knec deputy director of Quality Assurance and Archives, mentioned that analysis on KCPE and KCSE examinations indicates that students display commendable performance in Mathematics when leaving primary school but a significant decline is observed when they take their Form Four examination.
An examination of the 2022 results, for example, shows that more than 80 percent of candidates achieved between Grade A and D+ at the Class Eight level, but this figure dropped to 17. 46 percent in KCSE.
The low performance ranked students’ final examinations in secondary school in Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia higher than those of Kenyan candidates. However, Otieno explained that this was not due to a challenging curriculum but rather the stringent grading and assessment system.
“This underscores the necessity to reassess core subjects in senior secondary school, ensuring mathematics is taken solely by students whose courses require it,” he stated.
He made these remarks yesterday during the commencement of the second Knec Annual Symposium on Competency-Based Assessment in Nairobi.
In an interview on the periphery of the symposium, Nyabundi asserted that learners would have acquired the necessary arithmetic literacy by the end of junior secondary school, thus undermining the rationale for making it mandatory in senior secondary school.
“Competency-Based Curriculum is structured to enhance foundational skills by the conclusion of junior secondary school (Grade 9),” he noted.
Nyabundi indicated that attention could shift towards subjects that align with students’ strengths, such as humanities or vocational skills, to enhance overall academic and learning results.
This follows a public outcry after the Ministry of Education announced that Mathematics would be an optional subject at advanced levels. Instead, English, Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language, Community Service Learning, and Physical Education would be the compulsory subjects.
Simultaneously, it is anticipated that up to 60 percent of students in senior secondary school will select Mathematics as they will opt for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathway.
Otieno contended that the decision to make Mathematics compulsory disadvantages learners who are drawn to the arts pathway.
Knec stated that this alteration could help address the “dismal pass rate below 30 percent” in KCSE Mathematics.
He further claimed that many national examination boards within the region adopt a similar approach.
At the same time, the inclusion of Community Service Learning and Physical Education as compulsory subjects has been justified.
Eunice Gachoka from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development stated that research indicates Physical Education contributes to developing a well-rounded student.
“Regardless of whether it pertains to psychomotor skills, coordination, or cognitive growth, Physical Education has been shown to contribute to the overall development of a student, which is why it is regarded as a mandatory subject,” she stated.
Community Service Learning, she mentioned, would cultivate a patriotic and responsible citizenry. This came as several speakers delved into the decline of social values and patriotism among Kenyans.