Govt Reinstates Mathematics As Compulsory Subject After Uproar

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced that Mathematics is making a comeback as a must-have subject in senior secondary schools.

Speaking at the National Conversation on the Competency-Based Curriculum on Thursday, April 24, Ogamba revealed that the ministry listened to feedback from stakeholders and decided that every academic pathway will now include some form of compulsory math.

The Education CS noted that the government decided after consultations with stakeholders and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

President William Ruto during a past interaction with a student in school. /PCS

"The majority of the stakeholders during the CBC dialogue were of the view that mathematics should be compulsory in senior school. 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," Ogamba directed.

CS Julius Ogamba has clarified that under the new directive, students in the STEM pathway will study pure mathematics, while those in the Arts & Sports Science and Social Sciences pathways will take a simplified version of the subject.

''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.

Originally, unlike the old 8-4-4 system where math was mandatory for everyone, the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) allowed senior school students to drop math depending on their chosen pathway. Students in the non-STEM streams were allowed to opt out.

But Ogamba has now reversed that move. Math—at least in some form—is back on the table for all students, regardless of their pathway. He assured Kenyans that the Ministry is listening and taking public input seriously as they work to refine the CBC system, which has faced a fair share of controversy.

''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.

The Ministry of Education’s sudden reversal comes just weeks after it had declared math optional for senior secondary students.

Back on March 19, CS Ogamba emphasised how different the CBC system is from the outgoing 8-4-4 model. He noted that while math remained mandatory for students in the STEM track, those in the Arts and Social Sciences streams could drop it if it wasn’t relevant to their career paths.

That announcement didn’t go over well. It triggered backlash from the public and political leaders, who warned that ditching math as a core subject could harm the quality of Kenya’s future workforce.

Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata also weighed in, saying the move could stunt intellectual growth and weaken academic foundations.