The Kenyan Ministry of Education has announced the subjects that will be taught in junior secondary schools.
Students starting junior secondary school will report on Monday, January 30, according to Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu.
Junior secondary comprises of Grade 7, 8 and 9. Below are compulsory and optional subjects offered in junior secondary.
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
1. English
2. Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language for learners who are deaf
3. Mathematics
4. Integrated Science
5. Health Education
6. Pre-Technical and Pre-Career Education
7. Social Studies
8. Religious Education – learners choose one of the following:
- Christian Religious Education
- Islamic Religious Education
- Hindu Religious Education
9. Business Studies
10. Agriculture
11. Life Skills Education
12. Sports and Physical Education
Schools will have the option of teaching two more optional subjects.
Sports and Physical Education and Health Education will be taught twice a week, while Mathematics and English will be taught five times a week.
Pre-technical studies, Kiswahili and Integrated Science will be taught four times a week while Social Studies, Business Studies, Agriculture, and Religious Education will be taught thrice weekly.
Life Skills will have one lesson each week, while the two optional subjects will be taught thrice a week.
OPTIONAL SUBJECTS (Minimum 1, Maximum 2)
1. Visual Arts
2. Performing Arts
3. Home Science
4. Computer Science
5. Foreign Languages:
6. German
7. French
8. Mandarin
9. Arabic
10. Indigenous Languages
11. Kenyan Sign Language
Learners living with disabilities, unlike their counterparts in regular schools, will be taught Pre-vocational schools, Physical and Health Education, Communication and Social Skills, Daily Living Skills, Mathematical Activities, Music and Movement, Religious Education, Hygiene, Nutrition and Safety, Environmental Activities, and Social Studies.
The Ministry of Education, though Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, said learners in the junior secondary will have a four-level performance criterion.
Top performers (those exceeding expectations) will be graded as Level 4, meeting expectation (Level 3), approaching expectation (Level 2), and below expectation (Level 1).
“Level 1 indicates that the learner has difficulties in demonstrating proficiency in the task performed in terms of technical skills, originality, creativity, initiative and requires appropriate intervention,” said Belio Kipsang in published guidelines for the roll-out of junior secondary.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will be in charge of the learners’ assessment.
