The Ministry of Education (MoE) has unveiled a revised framework for senior school under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), expanding the subjects from seven to ten and introducing new guidelines on compulsory and elective learning areas.
In a circular dated August 8, 2025, addressed to regional, County, and Sub-County Directors of Education, Bitok outlined the new curriculum structure whereby, each learner will take seven examinable subjects, four compulsory and three elective. The compulsory subjects include English, Kiswahili (or Kenyan Sign Language for learners with hearing disabilities), Mathematics, and Community Service learning (CSL).
“Learners pursuing the STEM pathway shall take Core Mathematics while those who have chosen any of the other two pathways will take Essential Mathematics,” Bitok stated. He emphasized that learners not in the STEM track may still opt for Core Mathematics if their academic performance supports it.
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The elective subjects will be selected based on the learner’s chosen academic pathway, which could be Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Arts and Sports Science, or Social Sciences. The Ministry encourages flexibility, allowing students to combine electives across pathways if their career aspirations demand it.
“It should be anticipated that a situation may arise where a learner’s career choice requires that they take one subject in each pathway. Such a situation should be permitted,” the circular reads.
The Ministry has also introduced three non-assessed subjects which include: Physical Education, ICT skills, and a Pastoral or Religious Programme of Instruction (P/RPI). These will be offered to all learners, though they will not be examined. Schools are required to provide spiritual and moral guidance through P/RPI, but must respect learners’ religious beliefs.
“No school should force learners to participate in religious rites and activities that are contrary to their beliefs,” the circular warns, referencing a directive issued on March 4, 2022.
The revised curriculum also introduces a structured weekly timetable comprising 40 lessons, each lasting 40 minutes. Time allocated to both, core and elective subjects as well as non-assessed subjects. It’s also worth noting that learner’s personal/Group study and pastoral/Religious Programme instructions have been allocated one lesson per week separately.
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Senior School, which comprises of Grades 10 to 12, marks the fourth tier of Basic Education in the CBC system. It follows Pre-Primary (PP1 and PP2), Primary School (Grades 1-6), and Junior School (Grades 7-9). According to Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, this stage (Senior School) is designed as a pre-tertiary or pre-career phase for learners aged 15 to 17, helping them refine academic and professional interests identified earlier.
The expanded curriculum aims to provide learners with a more robust academic foundation while nurturing their personal growth and career readiness. The Ministry hopes to adequately prepare students for the demands of tertiary education and the ever-evolving job market.
In order to align their post-secondary programmes with the CBC structure while anticipating the admission of the first senior school cohort in the year 2029, The Ministry has also copied the directive to the Departments of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education.
The changes shall take effect in January 2026, when the first CBC cohort shall be transitioning to senior school.
By Masaki Enock
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