KENYA SYLLABUS & LEARNING RESOURCES
Senior School comprises three years of education targeted at learners in the age bracket of 15 to 17 years and lays the foundation for further education and training at the tertiary level and the world of work. It marks the end of Basic Education as defined in the Education Act, 2013. Learners exiting this level are expected to be “empowered, engaged and ethical citizens” ready to participate in the socio-economic development of the nation.
The learner entering this level shall have had opportunities at lower secondary to explore their own potential, interests and personality and is therefore ready to begin specialisation in a career path of choice. The specialisation entails choosing to pursue studies in one of the three pathways available in senior school. He or she can choose the Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences or Science Technical Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pathway.
Schools will be specialised institutions that will provide opportunities for learners to focus in a field of their choice as well as form a foundation for further education and training and gaining employable skills. Senior schools will be required to therefore organise open days to enable learners and parents to glean the information necessary for effective decision making. Additionally, a robust parental empowerment and engagement programme will be necessary to strengthen the involvement of parents in this process.
By the end of senior school, the learner should be able to:
1. Communicate effectively and utilise information and communication technology across varied contexts.
2. Apply mathematical, logical and critical thinking skills for problem solving.
3. Apply basic research and scientific skills to manipulate the environment and solve problems.
4. Exploit individual talents for leisure, self-fulfillment, career growth, further education and training.
5. Uphold national, moral and religious values and apply them in day-to-day +life.
6. Apply and promote health care strategies in day to day life.
7. Protect, preserve and improve the environment for sustainability.
8. Demonstrate active local and global citizenship for harmonious co-existence.
9. Demonstrate appreciation of diversity in people and cultures.
10. Manage pertinent and contemporary issues responsibly.
The provision of pathways at senior school is based on the aspiration that all learners can be successful in life. Success comes in many forms and there are various pathways that lead to it (NESP 2, 2015). It is therefore imperative for the senior school structure to facilitate learners to pursue their own interests and fulfil their potential in line with the curriculum reforms‟ mission of „nurturing every learner’s potential‟.
The Basic Education Act, 2013 (54(b)) states that all children who have undertaken a full subject of primary education shall be eligible for admission to a secondary school regardless of their scores. Despite this requirement, many learners drop out of the education system. The Economic Survey 2014 indicates that the highest dropout rate (about 50%) is between standard six (6) and form one (1). Among many, the rigidity of the secondary education curriculum has been cited as one of the causes for this dropout rate.
Various government documents have recommended the introduction of pathways at secondary level. The Task Force on the Re-alignment of the Education Sector to the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, popularly known as the Odhiambo Report, proposed a change in the structure to introduce technical, vocational, talent and general academic curriculum pathways in secondary education, to enable the achievement of the human resource aspirations of Vision 2030 (Task Force Report, 2012). Access to quality and relevant education is guaranteed in the Constitution. Providing learners with an education that is relevant will require the provision of a broad based curriculum and pathways that allow individual learners to pursue careers that are relevant. This will facilitate individual development and self-fulfilment as learners shall be equipped with practical skills that make them employable or facilitate self-employment. The National Education Sector Plan 2015 (NESP 1, 2015) recognises that learners have unique competencies and a range of skills, interests, experiences and aspirations that can only be harnessed by providing learning pathways. One of the goals of the plan is to provide an education system that addresses the individual's needs and academic, professional and technical aspirations across a range of learning pathways, as well as supporting national social and economic goals (NESP 2, 2015).
The introduction of pathways in secondary education is not unique to Kenya. In Canada, for example, the introduction of pathways at secondary level has helped young people graduate from high school and successfully transition into post-secondary education, training, or employment. Pathways have addressed the barriers that stand in the way of high school graduation and the potential for a brighter future by providing leadership, expertise, and a community-based program lowering dropout rates (Pathways to Education, Canada, 2014). The Malaysian education system offers four options for upper secondary education. These are: academic secondary education, technical secondary education, vocational education, and religious secondary education. Sweden has upper secondary programmes that are either vocational programmes, or programmes preparatory for higher education. Upper secondary education in India is dual track, academic and vocational/professional, with the academic stream specializing in science, business and humanities. New Zealand also have a vocational pathway where students develop skills and knowledge in areas that employers value. The pathways also contain a great deal of shared content, like literacy and numeracy, and identify the skills that employers in any sector value. According to the New Zealand Education Gazette, one of the main reasons some young people lose interest in education is because they cannot see the relevance of their learning. The vocational pathways show students how and where their learning will be valued out in the real world, and how their strengths and interests relate to possibilities in further education and the workplace (Ministry of Education, New Zealand, May 2016).
German secondary education is designed to prepare pupils for higher education; the Realschule has a broader range of emphasis for intermediate pupils, and the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education. The Hauptschulabschluss and the Realschulabschluss are at the end of Grade 9 and Grade 10 respectively. In Finland, vocational education belongs to secondary education and students choose to go to either a lukio (high school), which is an institution preparing students for tertiary education, or to a vocational school. Both forms of secondary education last three years, and give a formal qualification to join the university.
As can be seen from these examples it is evident that for any education system to meet the basic requirements of nurturing learners and making learning meaningful, pathways must play a critical role. In these curriculum reforms, the conceptualisation of the pathways identified is informed by the Needs Assessment Survey of 2016 and benchmarking with countries whose education systems are classified as progressive.
In Kenya, each senior school is expected to make informed decisions with regards to the pathway of choice based on the requisite infrastructure that would ensure development of the competencies identified in that pathway. The three pathways are: (1) Arts and Sports Science (2) Social Sciences (3) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Pathways within the secior secondary school curriculum
Within the three pathways there are various tracks. Schools can also decide to offer one or more track in the pathway depending on the ability to acquire the infrastructure necessary for acquisition of the identified competencies. The tracks are shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Tracks within senior secondary school pathways.
Learners will be expected to carry out community based projects in all subjects in senior school. The projects will form part of the formative evaluation and shall be carried out throughout the subject.