The curriculum for junior secondary students, which starts in January of the following year when schools reopen, has been made public by the government.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) together with the Competency Authority of Kenya detects that the consumer rights syllabus for Grade Seven students is crucial, given the developing trend in digital financial services.
One of the statements read, “Effective January 2023, concepts relating to the two disciplines will be taught in subjects such as Home Science and Business Studies, thereby benefiting over 1.2m learners transitioning to Junior Secondary.”
The government released a learning area cluster for Junior Secondary, where teachers teaching English, Mathematics, and Pre Technical Studies to take 5 lessons per week.
Foreign Languages and Social Studies will have three classes per week, while Integrated Sciences and Swahili will have four courses per week.
Business Studies/Computer Studies, Virtual Arts/Performing Arts taking three, Physical Education and Sports, Religious Education, and Health Education will be taught twice while Life Skills Education will come once in a week. Further the communique states that junior secondary will have spread lessons in 20 subjects.
The institution says that the subjects are geared to inform learners in skills for the labor market.
Wang’ombe Kariuki CAK director general said it is prudent to teach learners competencies at an early age.
Kariuki said, “This is informed by emerging realities, especially in digital financial services. Consumer-related issues affect us all irrespective of age.”
This new syllabus gives out a way to create timetables to cover all the subjects to be taught.
BY SHIPHRA DIANA