Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya and the United States of America governments are working on a framework to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in the country.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said the framework will entail developing a curriculum on STEM-related disciplines, strengthening partnerships with institutions in STEM, and curriculum development in Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The CS spoke when he met the US Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Carla Benini at Jogoo House where the modalities for developing the framework were discussed.
Machogu lauded the US government for the support it has given Kenya at various levels of education and training in the country.
“Kenya requires more support on TVET to enable young Kenyans to get the technical and vocational skills that Kenya and the global labour market need,” Machogu said.
In her response, Benini said Kenya is the third country in Africa with the highest number of students studying in various Universities in the USA.
She said the growth of students from Africa studying in the USA grew by 7 per cent with Kenya having 4,000 learners, adding that there are over 250,000 Kenyan Americans in the USA.
“Individual USA universities had established partnerships with Kenyan Universities, given that Education in the USA was devolved,” Benini said.
She cited Kent State University which had partnered with Jomo Kenya University of Agriculture and Technology on space aviation.
This comes after Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang revealed that most Senior Schools will offer STEM as a career pathway to Grade 10 to 12 learners from 2026.
He noted that there are up to 11,000 Senior Schools available in the country.
“Most of them will be pure sciences because that is mostly what we are doing with our 8-4-4. We shall only continue to build their capacity in dealing with the aspects of science,” he said.
Belio spoke on April 3 when he officiated a stakeholder’s engagement on Senior School and Teacher Education at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in Nairobi.
Senior Schools will offer three career pathways which are Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences commonly known as humanities and final one is performing arts, music and athletics.
Belio said the ministry hopes to have each Senior School offering at least two career pathways for Grade 10 to 12 learners.
He said having Senior Schools offer two career pathways will make economic sense of what has already been invested in the institutions.
“We expect that every school will at least have two pathways to make economic sense of the investments we put into our schools,” the PS said.
He said some national schools will offer up to three career pathways.
Belio said most schools have developed capacity in humanities and STEM courses.
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