New Syllabus Released For Junior Secondary Learners

The curriculum for junior secondary students, which starts in January 2023 when schools reopen, has been made public by the government.

Part of the statement said, "Beginning in January 2023, topics pertaining to the two disciplines will be taught in subjects like Home Science and Business Studies, thereby helping over 1.2m learners migrating to Junior Secondary.”

Given the growing popularity of digital financial services, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Competency Authority of Kenya note that the consumer rights curriculum for students in Grade Seven is essential.

As part of the Junior Secondary learning area clusters, which were also announced by the government, teachers of English, Mathematics, and Pre-technical studies will each have five classes per week. While social studies and foreign languages are taught in three weekly courses, Kiswahili and Integrated Science will be taught four times.

The announcement stated that the same topics would be taught in over 30 subjects by the time students reached senior secondary grades 10, 11, and 12 in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

It is vital to instill competencies in students at a young age, according to CAK Director General Wang'ombe Kariuki.

“This is informed by emerging realities, especially in digital financial services. Consumer-related issues affect us all irrespective of age,” CAK General Wang’ombe Kariuki said. 

According to the institutions, the subjects are designed to give students marketable skills for the workforce.