NAIROBI, Kenya – The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has rejected the government’s proposal to make Mathematics an optional subject at the senior school level, warning that the move could weaken the nation’s workforce and educational standards.
The Ministry of Education recently announced that under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Mathematics will no longer be compulsory for senior secondary learners, marking a major departure from the phased-out 8-4-4 system.
In the new curriculum, students will take four mandatory subjects—English or Kenya Sign Language, Kiswahili, Physical Education, and Community Service Learning—while choosing three others from a pool of 38 options.
However, KUPPET Acting Secretary General Moses Nthurima criticized the decision, asserting that Mathematics is a critical discipline with applications across multiple fields, including humanities, sports, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
“KUPPET rejects the government’s proposal to make Mathematics an optional subject at the senior school level,” Nthurima stated during a press briefing on Wednesday. “Mathematics is essential in building a competent workforce for the 21st century, and it plays a crucial role even in non-STEM fields.”
Concerns Over Teacher Promotions
During the same press briefing, Nthurima also addressed growing dissatisfaction among teachers regarding the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) promotion process.
He noted that KUPPET’s National Executive Board has received multiple complaints from teachers who feel unfairly sidelined in the 2024/2025 promotions.
The primary grievance, according to Nthurima, is the TSC’s approach of distributing 25,252 promotion slots equally across all 47 counties, despite disparities in staffing levels.
This, he argued, disproportionately affects teachers in highly populated counties like Kiambu and Kakamega, where competition for promotions is much stiffer compared to less populated regions.
“The implication is that teachers in smaller counties were highly favored, while their counterparts in densely populated counties continue to pile up on merit lists due to high competition,” said Nthurima.
KUPPET is now calling for a review of the promotion criteria to ensure fairness by considering staffing levels in different counties rather than applying an equal distribution formula.
