By Janet Nyanchoka
Senator for Kisii, Richard Onyonka has welcomed the return of math as a senior school subject under the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC).
The significant policy reversal was announced by Cabinet Secretary (CS) in charge of education, Julius Migos on Thursday.
While making the U-turn, Migos said that learners will take math at senior school level regardless the pathway they would be taking.
The announcement followed mixed reactions from Kenyans including political leaders.
While making a passionate appeal in a past interview, Onyonka vehemently opposed the initial decision to make the subject optional under CBC.
Senator Onyonka, a staunch advocate for inclusive and high-quality education, had argued that dropping math from senior school would irredeemably harm students’ prospects, particularly in the fields of science and technology.
He directly challenged Migos, demanding retraction of the decision.
Onyonka had said that it would lead to erosion of Kenya’s academic standing and cripple limitation of students’ future opportunities, especially within the globally competitive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
During an address at the National Conversation on CBC on Thursday, Migos announced the reinstatement math as a mandatory subject across all senior secondary school learning pathways.
He framed the decision as a direct response to stakeholder concerns, highlighting the collaborative efforts with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in reaching this resolution.
The new directive maintains pure math for students pursuing STEM pathways, while those in arts, sports science, and social sciences will engage with a modified, context-specific version of the subject.
This approach seeks to cater for diverse academic interests while preserving the fundamental importance of math literacy.