How competency based education (cbe) is transforming student's lives in kenya
The CBE (Competency Based Education) implementation in Kenya has reached the Senior school level. The senior school is currently hosted in the current secondary schools. The first lot of students for the senior schools was admitted in January 2026. Learners transited to the senior schools to start their senior level.
Senior school education covers three grades in three years, Grade 10, Grade 11 and Grade 12. This level of education focuses majorly on sharpening of skills and technical knowledge. Learners are taken through learning activities that enhance competency in what they are best in and promote attitude, values and interaction to real world experiences.
The learners in senior school are required to take a maximum of seven subjects; four compulsory subjects and three optionals. The compulsory subjects are to provide the basic skills needed by the learner in the day to day living.
The compulsory subjects are:
- English language
- Kiswahili lugha or Kenya sign language
- Community Service Learning
- Mathematics
Mathematics is classified into two based on the pathway; either STEM or SOCIAL SCIENCES or ARTS and SPORTS. For STEM pathway, the learners take Core Mathematics while the other pathways take Essential Mathematics. The concepts are meant to equip the learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them lead good lives and pursue further education.
The optional subjects are selected from the wide range of subjects in each pathway. However, two or all the three MUST be selected from the Pathway selected by the learner. For example, a learner undertaking STEM, can take Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Biology, Chemistry, CRE. In this example, CRE is an optional subject from the Social Sciences Pathway.
Read more about CBE in our next tutorials.
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