Mathematics to Be Made Compulsory in Senior Schools, Confirms CS Migos
Nairobi, Kenya
In a significant policy reversal, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has announced that Mathematics will be a compulsory subject for all learners at the senior school level under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The announcement, made during the National Conversation on CBC, marks a departure from an earlier government position which had proposed to make Mathematics optional. CS Migos revealed that the decision followed overwhelming support from stakeholders who participated in national CBC dialogue forums.
All Senior Students to Study Mathematics Under CBC
CS Migos clarified that Mathematics will feature in all three CBC learning pathways. Learners in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) track will study pure, advanced Mathematics, while students in the Arts & Sports Science and Social Sciences pathways will engage with a simplified form of the subject.
“Some form of mathematics will be compulsory for all learners, regardless of the pathway. STEM will include advanced Maths, and the other two will integrate foundational Mathematics,” Migos explained. He further noted that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) had been consulted extensively during the policy review.
KUPPET and Experts Support the Move
The reinstatement of compulsory Mathematics comes after months of concern from educational stakeholders. KUPPET (Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers) had earlier rejected the idea of scrapping Maths as a mandatory subject, warning that it could impair students’ future academic and career prospects.
“Mathematics is crucial for a 21st-century workforce,” KUPPET Acting Secretary General Moses Nthurima said. “Its application goes beyond STEM—into humanities, sports, and business fields. Making it optional would have been a step backwards.”
Education experts have also argued that numeracy is a foundational life skill that cuts across disciplines and daily decision-making, hence the need to embed it across all education pathways.
Revised Curriculum Will Balance Flexibility and Core Competency
Previously, the CBC structure proposed four core subjects—English or Kenya Sign Language, Kiswahili, Physical Education, and Community Service Learning—leaving students to select three additional subjects from a pool of 38 options. This had caused confusion about the role of Mathematics, particularly for learners not pursuing STEM.
Under the revised model, students will still enjoy a degree of subject choice but must engage with Mathematics in some form, ensuring a baseline of numeracy for all graduates of the system.
The Ministry of Education is expected to release detailed curriculum guides and assessment frameworks in the coming months, especially for the non-STEM mathematics tracks.
CS Migos emphasized that the decision aligns with the nation’s goal to build a well-rounded, digitally fluent, and economically empowered generation, echoing Kenya’s Vision 2030 education strategy.
“We’re not just teaching Mathematics—we’re building thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers,” he concluded.
