Nairobi — The Ministry of Education has reduced the number of lessons under the Competency Based Curriculum in line with recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform.
In a statement released on Thursday, Jogoo House said Grade 1-3 will have seven subjects down from the current nine, with the number of lessons capped at thirty-one down from thirty-five.
“The Seven subjects to be taught in Lower Primary include, Indigenous Language, Kiswahili Language/Kenya Sign Language, English Language, Mathematics, Religious Education, Environmental Activities, Movement and Creative Activities,” Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said.
The ministry collapsed Hygiene and Nutrition activities into Environmental Activities.
Upper Primary (Grade 4,5 and 6) will offer eight subjects down from ten with the number of lessons reduced from forty to thirty-five per week.
The subjects include Pastoral/Religious Programme Instructions. Schools will teach Home Science and Agriculture as a single subject while regarding foreign and indigenous languages as non-formal.
Other subjects are English, Kiswahili/Kenya Sign Language, Mathematics, Religious Education, Science and Technology, Agriculture and Nutrition, and Social Studies and Creative Arts.
14 subjects in junior school
The ministry reduced learning areas in Junior Secondary School from fourteen to nine and capped the number of lessons per week at forty down from forty-five.
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Jogoo House amalgamated Health Education and Integrated Science into Integrated Science and consolidated Social Studies and Life Skills Education into Social Studies.
The ministry collapsed Agriculture and Home Science subjects into one subject named Agriculture and Nutrition.
Schools will teach Computer Studies and Business Studies as Pre-technical Studies.
“The 9 Subjects are, English, Kiswahili/Kenya Sign Language, Mathematics, Religious Education, Social Studies, Integrated Science, Pre-technical Studies, Agriculture and Nutrition,” Kipsang said.
The PS said the Pre-primary (PP1 – PP2) subjects will remain 5 as set out initially.
Kipsang directed all school headteachers to ensure the implementation of the directive.
Kipsang said the revised curriculum will be available on the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) website from January 2024 and distributed to schools.