KICD unveils ‘Essential Mathematics’ curriculum for non-STEM senior school students
Mathematics has long been a compulsory subject under the 8-4-4 system, and after public pressure, the Ministry of Education confirmed that it will remain a core learning area under the new curriculum.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is working on a new mathematics curriculum tailored for senior school learners who are not pursuing the STEM pathway.
Known as Essential Mathematics, the subject will serve students in the Social Sciences, Arts, and Sports tracks, and will be introduced alongside existing math content for STEM learners in 2026.
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This follows confusion and concern sparked by an earlier announcement that suggested mathematics would become optional in senior school.
“The idea at that point was that all learners need some form of mathematics at senior school. When that announcement was being made, we had already developed a curriculum for the particular subject that we thought was suitable for students opting for that option (STEM), so that is already done and it will be offered as it was developed,” said KICD Director Charles Ong’ondo in an interview with the Daily Nation.
Curriculum designs for Essential Mathematics have already been drafted and are set for review next week.
Once revised, they will be taken through a series of processes, including stakeholder engagement through the cross-panel forum, review by KICD’s academic committee, and final approval by the council.
“All these processes are expected to be completed by June 2025. Thereafter, we will invite publishers to submit books for Essential Mathematics, which will be evaluated in August 2025 so that we are ready to distribute them alongside other subjects for learners in Grade 10,” Ong’ondo told the Daily Nation.
Structured math learning
KICD has already completed the development of curriculum materials for STEM mathematics and now seeks to ensure all learners, regardless of their chosen pathway, have access to structured math learning.
“That which is essential to other learners who are not doing STEM, so the mathematics which was already developed will be pursued by STEM students in senior school, (while) Essential Mathematics (will be pursued) by non-STEM students,” he said.
He also noted that learners not in STEM are still free to take the STEM-level math if they wish.
“However, it must be understood that even students in these pathways who decide that they will do the mathematics undertaken by STEM students have the freedom to do so,” Ong’ondo said.
Mathematics has long been a compulsory subject under the 8-4-4 system, and after public pressure, the Ministry of Education confirmed that it will remain a core learning area under the new curriculum.
Ong’ondo emphasised that key subjects like mathematics, English, Kiswahili, and Community Service Learning form the foundation for all learners.
“There are skills or competencies considered generic that every learner, regardless of their preferred pathway, should be exposed to. The earlier conceptualisation of curriculum subjects included English Language, Kiswahili, and Community Service Learning,” he said.
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