The Ministry of Education has announced a raft of changes in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) following recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.

In a move that is geared towards eliminating duplication and overlaps across the various levels of basic education, learning areas for lower primary have been reduced from 9 to 7.

Upper primary will have 8 learning areas down from 10 and learners in Junior Secondary School (JSS) will undertake 9 subjects as opposed to the previous 14, maintaining key subjects like English, Kiswahili, Kenya Sign Language, Mathematics and Religious Education.

Other subjects like Integrated Science and Health Education have been merged and will now be referred to as Integrated Science, Social Studies and Life Skills have been integrated into one learning area referred to as Social Studies.

Agriculture and some aspects of Home Science will now be commonly referred to as Agriculture and Nutrition.

Other concepts of Home Science will however be Integrated in Science and other relevant learning areas.

The new Pre-Technical Studies will incorporate what was formerly known as Pre - technical studies, Computer and Business Studies while Physical Education, Sports, Visual and Performing Arts will now be merged into one learning area referred to as Creative Arts and Sports.

Under the new structure, there will be no optional learning area for JSS with the total lessons per week reduced to 41 from 45.

Six learning areas in Upper Primary remain unchanged save for the slight adjustments in the number of lessons per week which now shift from 40 to 35. This is inclusive of the Pastoral Instruction Programme (PPI).

However, Agriculture and Home Science have been integrated into Agriculture and Nutrition while apexes of Art and Craft, Music, Physical Education have been integrated into one learning area which will now be referred to as Creative Arts. This has in effect reduced the total learning areas in Upper Primary by 2.

Learners in Grade 1 to 3 will now take 7 instead of 9 leaning areas including English, Kiswahili/KSL, Mathematics, Religious Education, Indigenous Language, Movement & Creative Activities which will now be referred to as Creative Activities and Environmental Activities which will incorporate the former Environmental Activities as well as Hygiene & Nutrition.

Lessons for Pre-Primary Learners will remain unchanged.

The new structure will come into effect beginning in January 2024.

In the meantime, rationalization of learning areas at senior school is ongoing and a circular will be released during the first term of 2024.