CBC Roadmap: Full List of Grade 10 Subjects and Weekly Lesson Timetable
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EXPLAINED: Subjects to Be Taught in Senior Schools and Weekly Lesson Hours (Full List)
As the first cohort of Competency-Based Education (CBE) learners prepares to enter Grade 10 in January 2026, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has released the definitive framework for Senior School.
The new structure moves away from the “one-size-fits-all” 8-4-4 model, instead focusing on three distinct career pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports Science. Every learner will undertake a total of seven subjects, balanced across a standardized 40-lesson weekly timetable.
The “Math Split”: Core vs. Essential Mathematics
In a significant shift, Mathematics has been bifurcated to match the learner’s career trajectory.
- Core Mathematics: Mandatory for students in the STEM pathway. It covers advanced calculus and algebraic structures required for engineering and medicine.
- Essential Mathematics: Mandatory for Social Sciences and Arts & Sports pathways. This version focuses on “utilitarian skills” financial literacy, statistics, and practical logic.
EXPLAINED: Subjects to Be Taught in Senior Schools and Weekly Lesson Hours (Full List)
The Full Subject Matrix by Pathway
Learners must take four core subjects and select three electives from their chosen pathway.
| Core Subjects (Mandatory for All) | STEM Electives | Social Science Electives | Arts & Sports Electives | | 1. English | Biology | Literature in English | Sports and Recreation | | 2. Kiswahili / KSL | Chemistry | History & Citizenship | Music and Dance | | 3. Core/Essential Math | Physics | Geography | Theatre and Film | | 4. Community Service Learning | Agriculture | Business Studies | Fine Arts | | Computer Studies | Foreign Languages | | | Aviation / Technicals | Religious Education | |
40-Lesson Weekly Blueprint
The Ministry of Education has standardized the school week to ensure all pathways receive equal instructional time. Below is how the 40 lessons are distributed every week:
Core & Elective Distribution:
- English: 5 Lessons
- Kiswahili / KSL: 5 Lessons
- Mathematics (Core or Essential): 5 Lessons
Three Chosen Electives: 15 Lessons (5 lessons each)
- Community Service Learning (CSL): 3 Lessons
- Mandatory Skills & Support:
- Physical Education (PE): 3 Lessons
- ICT Skills: 2 Lessons
- Pastoral Programme (PPI): 1 Lesson
- Personal / Group Study: 1 Lesson
- TOTAL: 40 Lessons per week
Infrastructure & “Pathway Schools”
Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba noted that not every school will offer every elective. Schools have been categorized based on their resources.
For instance, Technical Senior Schools will prioritize STEM electives like Aviation and Building Construction, while Comprehensive Senior Schools may offer a mix of Social Sciences and Arts.
“The goal of Senior School is to provide a pre-tertiary experience,” CS Ogamba stated during the commissioning of Shanzu Senior School. “Learners are now specializing in what they are actually good at.”
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