By Wachira Kigotho

Absence of a consistent policy towards introduction of the new alternative curriculum that is expected to provide flexibility in secondary school mathematics and sciences is generating unnecessary friction and causing anxiety among students and teachers.

In the last few months, senior education officials have contradicted each other on modalities, selection and choice of curriculum options. The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association has now entered the fray to determine whether students should make their choices or if each school should decide the option to be done by the students.

According to Education Secretary George Godia, students in formal schools are expected to follow Mathematics alternative A in Form One and Two. Thereafter, with guidance of career masters, students will decide whether to proceed with alternative ‘A’ or to take Mathematics alternative B in Form Three and Four.

Prof Godia says schools are expected to guide students on whether to continue with Biology, Chemistry and Physics after Form Two or to opt for General Science. Besides, students in non-formal secondary schools are expected to take general science and mathematics alternative B straight from Form One.

However, a directive issued to schools by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) says each school will be allowed to register students in only one of the two categories. Knecboss Paul Wassanga says all candidates from one school will choose either Mathematics Alternative A or Mathematics Alternative B.

But while many education officials are elusive as to which category of schools will be allowed to offer the easier subjects, Quality Assurance Director Enos Oyaya says only schools with poorly equipped laboratories should go for the diluted subjects.

Although the school heads’ association is concerned about some students being denied an opportunity to sit for the simpler options, this should not be of main worry, taking into account that already many schools that go will for the ‘soft subjects.’

Barely 300 of the about 6,570 secondary schools have properly equipped laboratories. Detailed analysis of schools with good laboratories show only national, provincial, and private high cost and few public district secondary schools have equipped laboratories. Subsequently, performance in science subjects has been very poor.

Statistics from the Knec indicate almost 50 per cent of students who sit for physics in the KCSE obtain mean grades of D and E.

According to a study carried by Oyaya on strengthening of mathematics and science in secondary education, quite often, there is zero candidature registered for physics or chemistry in some districts.

In this regard introduction of general science, a subject that has no practical aspects, is welcome to many students, teachers and parents who are worried of performance in science subjects in KCSE.

The alternative syllabus is designed for students who do not have ambitions in pursuing careers that require application of advanced science and mathematics," a curriculum developer at the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) told this writer.

Unlike in the past when all candidates were required to take two compulsory science subjects selected from group two category comprising of Chemistry, Biology and Physics, the new curriculum is offering general science as an alternative to the pure sciences.

A scrutiny of the new general science syllabus shows the subject has three parts, namely, section an on Biology, section B on Chemistry and sec tion C on Physics. Guidelines from the KIE indicate three teachers will teach the subject.

But schools will have to make hard choices in that candidates who take the easier options will be barred from applying for degree courses in engineering, medicine, pharmacy, architecture, actuarial science and others that require passes in regular science subjects and advanced secondary school mathematics.

As schools prepare to register for the new options that will be examined for the first time next year, fractured opinions are threatening to derail the process. Principals are not eager to take responsibility of determining which options the schools should offer. "This matter should have been left to students and their parents," says a principal from a public secondary school in Nairobi.

The principal who sought anonymity explained teachers are reluctant to decide the future of their students. "It should be their choice so that they blame nobody in case they fail to perform well in the KCSE," says the principal.