Education stakeholders are urging parents to avoid pressuring their children to pursue the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pathway solely for its perceived prestige, warning that such coercion could lead to student frustration and underperformance.
In an interview, Mr. Njeru Mutani, Executive Secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) in Meru South, emphasized that the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) is designed to align education with individual interests, abilities, and innate talents.
“Parents should not force their children to venture into pathways they are not capable of or interested in,” Mutani cautioned. “STEM involves pure sciences and mathematics, and any child who is not strong in these subjects may struggle and become frustrated in the future.”
Understanding the Three CBC Pathways
Under the CBC framework, learners are placed into one of three pathways after the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA):
1. STEM – For careers in fields like medicine, engineering, architecture, and technology.
2. Social Sciences – For aspiring lawyers, economists, managers, journalists, diplomats, and related professions.
3. Arts and Sports – For those interested in music, acting, film, graphic design, content creation, and athletics.
Mutani noted that while school placement may be adjusted, the chosen pathway remains fixed, making the initial decision critically important.
A Call for Alignment Over Prestige
The union official expressed concern that many parents are pushing children toward STEM for its social status, overlooking the learners’ actual strengths and passions. He reiterated that the CBC was introduced to promote specialization based on talent, not to create a hierarchy of pathways.
“Those aspiring to become lawyers or journalists should pursue Social Sciences, while learners inclined toward creative fields should consider Arts and Sports,” he stated. “The focus should be on aligning students with careers that match their abilities.”
What This Means for Vocational and Technical Training
This guidance strongly reinforces the value of diverse career routes, including technical and vocational education, which are embedded across all pathways. For instance:
– The Arts and Sports Pathway naturally aligns with artisan skills, creative trades, and digital content careers.
– The STEM Pathway includes vital technical specializations like artisanry, engineering trades, and ICT.
– The Social Sciences Pathway can lead to business, entrepreneurship, and community development roles.
Vocational Training (TVET) remains a core destination for hands-on, competency-based learning within each of these streams.