Going forward, students who wish to study mathematics-related courses must have scored a minimum grade of C (plain) in English or Kiswahili in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
The new change, however, will not affect the traditional C+ (plus) grade as the minimum entry to university for those who wish to be sponsored by the government.
Scoring C (plain) in either English or Kiswahili, will determine the placement in the following courses:
- Computer Science
- ICT
- Economics
- Statistics
- Finance
In the past, the placement in the above courses solely depended on what grade one scored in Mathematics. In the adjustments, learners will now require Mathematics plus English or Kiswahili to qualify for placement under the government sponsorship program.
The proposal was made by university administrators and is aimed at “improving the communication skills of the students who take up the said courses.” The move, however, is likely to lock out many students who might not have scored the required grade in the languages.
At the same time, Mathematics has been dropped as a determinant for those who want to pursue a Bachelors’s In Education. Going forward, learners will only need to score a C (plain) in either English or Kiswahili to be considered.
The new changes come even as students who sat the KCSE for 2022 anxiously wait for the placement body to open the portal for revision of courses as well as to apply for universities they would like to be admitted in. For the first time, KUCCPS seems not to be in a hurry in opening the portal.
The Ministry of Education has also remained mute about the whole university admission issue leaving both parents and students guessing about what might be happening. The worry of many parents and guardians is that the body might surprise them with deadlines without giving them more time to look for money.
