Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has clarified that all Grade 10 learners will study science and mathematics as recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
Dr Kipsang said a key element of Grade 10, which is the start of senior school, is the selection of career pathways from arts and sports science, social science, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) career pathways offered in senior schools.
“Every school will be required to take two pathways. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics pathway will be taken by every school. That is why we are putting up laboratories so that each senior school will be able to take at least two pathways so that we can optimise on the resources that are already in our schools. We have already mobilised resources to make sure that our 1,600 schools have laboratories to offer the science pathway. We need to agree on how we would want to move forward together. That is why we shall go to every county so that we can hear what Kenyans are saying as we move to senior school,” Dr Kipsang said.
The other two pathways are: Arts and Sports Science, and Social Sciences.
Dr Kipsang said was speaking at Machakos Town during the launch of a series of countrywide forums on the implementation of the (CBC) on Friday March 7.
Participants asked the government to adequately train secondary school teachers before the competency-based curriculum (CBC) is rolled out in senior school in January next year.
Through the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the tutors called for their retooling before the pioneer class joins Grade 10 in what will now be referred to as senior school.
They made the demand even as the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) exuded confidence that the learners are ready for the transition.
There have been concerns among stakeholders over implementation of the CBC, especially in junior school.
Education stakeholders lamented that the government had potentially jeopardised the selection of career pathways by Grade 9 learners by delaying the induction of teachers into the late stages of the CBC.
Acknowledging the urgent need for retooling teachers to enhance the smooth implementation of competency-based curriculum, the TSC indicated that the retooling exercise should start latest by September this year.
Knut secretary general Collins Oyuu said education stakeholders should borrow from the implementation of the CBC from Grade 1 to Grade 9 to steer the remaining stages of the curriculum.
However, Kuppet and other stakeholders who addressed the forum said the induction of teachers to the new curriculum was long overdue.
“When it comes to the implementation of the competency-based curriculum we have a challenge with the retooling of secondary school teachers. That should have started like yesterday. These teachers are anxious. They want to know where we are heading. We should not rush the retooling of the teachers,” said Kuppet national organising secretary, Paul Ngei.
Stephen Mudho, an educationist, called on the government to expose secondary school teachers to the competency-based curriculum way before retooling them while Boaz Waruku of Elimu Bora Working Group called on the government to invest in school infrastructure, recruitment of more teachers and improving their working environment ahead of the transition to Grade 10.
“Teachers need to be exposed to the new curriculum so that they internalise and study it such that when they go for the planned retooling they have some background knowledge on it,” Mr Mudho said.
The week-long county forums have come two months after the government rolled out Grade 9 which was has been marred by hiccups ranging from lack of adequate classrooms and teachers.
Mr Ogamba said the government was committed to factoring in ideas that will be gathered during the countrywide forums to enhance the transition to Grade 10 and subsequent grades.
“Until this stage we had not informed the public about the guidelines of transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10. We are here to bring the country up-to-speed and make sure we are not caught on time in terms of what needs to be done to ensure the smooth transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10. We are ready and rolling out the curriculum. We are rolling out the career pathways. By the end of the exercise everyone in the country will be on top of the transition guidelines,” Mr Ogamba said.
The CS called on schools to be patient as the government worked on releasing the balance of capitation funds that is yet to be disbursed.
