Nyamira County Woman Representative Jerusah Momanyi has lauded the Ministry of Education (MoE) for making Mathematics an optional subject for Senior Secondary students.
She said the decision justified the role of education, which, among other disciplines, is to create critical thinkers with liberal minds in society.
“One of the roles of education is to mould people to have freedom of perception without compromising humanity, and this is what the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) is trying to accomplish,” she said.
The Woman MP was speaking at Nyaema Comprehensive School in Nyamira County on Tuesday when she launched the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), which included the provision of water tanks to schools and tents and chairs for women’s groups to rent out for income generation, in addition to supporting table banking initiatives.
However, she cautioned the government against completely ignoring Mathematics as an optional subject, advocating instead for guidance to help learners embrace the subject rather than loathe it, as it is equally important in life.
“I won’t say that Mathematics is bad, but it becomes bad when students are forced to do it even if it is not their choice,” she said.
The Woman Representative was reacting to Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang’s recent announcement regarding the government’s decision to make Mathematics optional in the new CBC system, contrary to the defunct 8-4-4 system, where Mathematics, Kiswahili, and English were compulsory subjects for secondary school learners.
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He explained that under the new CBC, learners will be required to study English or Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language, physical education, and community service learning. The PS added that students would have 38 subjects to choose from, allowing them to shape their career paths based on their life goals.
Dr Kipsang noted that this new subject selection marks a significant departure from the outgoing 8-4-4 system, which required students to undertake Mathematics as a compulsory subject, along with at least one science subject from Physics, Chemistry, or Biology.
Prof Henry Onderi of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) agreed with Ms. Momanyi but expressed a slightly different view. While acknowledging that the decision promotes liberal education practices, he warned that it could dilute the sciences in faculties such as architecture, whose foundation relies heavily on Mathematics.
“Students generally hate Mathematics, except for a few. If it is made optional in secondary school, we might end up creating a demanding vacuum in the science world,” he said.
Prof Onderi cautioned the Ministry of Education against rushing into changes aimed at pleasing the government of the day, only to end up crippling the country’s education system. He urged the Ministry to consult widely with education experts before fully implementing the proposal.
By Enock Okong’o
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