- As CBE gains ground, many parents push children toward STEM pathways, believing they guarantee success. The writer warns that this pressure risks ignoring learners’ natural talents and undermines the true purpose of CBE, which is to help each child discover and excel in their unique strengths
- Mbappé’s rise from Bondy to global fame shows the power of parents recognising and supporting a child’s natural gift rather than forcing them into society’s expectations. His story is used to highlight how talent flourishes when nurtured with discipline, resilience and encouragement
As the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system gathers momentum, one conversation has become common in many homes: “My child must choose a STEM pathway.”
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have become the dream for countless parents. Many believe that only STEM careers guarantee success, financial security and social prestige. As a result, children are increasingly being encouraged or pressured to follow pathways they may neither enjoy nor naturally excel in.
But what if we are overlooking the very purpose of CBE? What if the system was designed not to make every learner the same, but to help every learner discover where they can excel?
The story of Kylian Mbappé offers a powerful lesson.
Long before he became one of the world’s greatest footballers, before the World Cup triumphs, record-breaking contracts and global fame, Mbappé was simply a young boy from Bondy, a suburb of Paris, who loved football more than anything else.
His parents noticed something many adults fail to see in their own children.
They recognised his natural gift; instead of forcing him into a career that matched society’s expectations, they invested in the talent he already possessed. His father coached him with patience. His mother, a former professional athlete, taught him discipline, resilience and humility. Together, they created an environment where talent was nurtured, and character was built.
Today, Mbappé is not celebrated because he became what society expected; he is celebrated because he became the best version of himself; that is exactly the philosophy behind Kenya’s Competency-Based Education.
CBE is founded on the principle that learners have different strengths, interests and abilities. While STEM is one of the important pathways, it is not the only pathway. The curriculum also provides opportunities in areas such as arts and sports science, social sciences, and other fields, recognising that society needs innovators, teachers, healthcare professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, technicians and many other skilled people.
The success of CBE will therefore not be measured by how many learners enter STEM. It will be measured by how well learners are guided into pathways that match their abilities, interests and aspirations.
This does not mean STEM is unimportant. Kenya—and the world—needs scientists, engineers, doctors, software developers and researchers. Many children genuinely have the curiosity and aptitude to thrive in those fields, and they should be encouraged to pursue them.
The challenge arises when STEM becomes the default expectation for every child, regardless of their strengths.
A learner who is naturally gifted in music should not be made to feel like a failure because they are not passionate about physics. A talented athlete should not be discouraged simply because football or athletics does not fit a parent’s definition of success. A gifted artist, writer or entrepreneur deserves the same respect and support as a future engineer.
Mbappé’s story reminds us that talent flourishes when it is recognised, supported and developed—not when it is ignored in favour of someone else’s dream.
Modern parents should therefore ask a different question.
Instead of asking, “How can I make my child fit into STEM?”
Perhaps they should ask, “What is my child’s greatest strength, and how can I help them develop it?”
That single shift in thinking can transform a child’s future.
Children also need more than opportunities—they need parents who are present. They need parents who listen, encourage effort, support them through setbacks and celebrate progress. Success is built not only on ability but also on discipline, resilience, humility and consistent guidance.
Not every child will become the next Kylian Mbappé, not every child will become a doctor, engineer or software developer either. But every child deserves the opportunity to discover their gifts and pursue them with excellence. The greatest mistake parents can make under CBE is assuming that success has only one pathway.
The greatest gift they can give their children is the freedom to discover their strengths, the discipline to develop them and the confidence to pursue them.
After all, the purpose of education is not to produce children who all look the same on paper; it is to help every learner become the best version of themselves.
Perhaps the real measure of successful parenting under CBE is not raising children who all fit into STEM, but raising children who confidently excel in the pathway that matches their God-given potential.
By Hillary Muhalya
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