The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has unveiled significant updates to the Junior School curriculum (Grades 7 and 8) for the 2025 academic year. These changes represent a further refinement of the 2024 rationalisation, emphasizing digital integration, career readiness, and global citizenship while maintaining the competency-based curriculum (CBC) framework.
Comprehensive Digital Integration
A defining feature of the 2025 curriculum is the integration of digital literacy across all learning areas, rather than treating it as a standalone learning area. This integration manifests differently across subjects:
- Languages now incorporate digital tools for interactive learning and media literacy
- Mathematics includes coding and data handling through digital platforms
- Integrated Science features technology-driven experiments
- Creative Arts explores digital music production and ICT-based creativity
Enhanced Career Readiness Focus
The curriculum has been strengthened to better prepare students for future careers and entrepreneurship:
- Pre-Technical Studies now emphasizes digital entrepreneurship and ICT-based industrial applications
- Creative Arts & Sports integrates business skills through digital design and marketing
- Mathematics incorporates practical financial literacy and economic problem-solving
- Agriculture introduces digital agricultural tools and modern farming technologies
Environmental Sustainability Integration
Environmental awareness and sustainability have been woven into multiple learning areas:
- Agriculture now covers climate-smart farming and environmental conservation
- Integrated Science emphasizes renewable energy and sustainable technologies
- Social Studies includes global sustainability discussions
- Pre-Technical Studies addresses industrial sustainability
Modern Assessment Methods
The 2025 updates make the need for more ‘modern’ assessment approaches more explicit. It reinforces:
- Movement from traditional exams to project-based evaluations
- Integration of digital portfolios across subjects
- Introduction of STEM-based assessments in Mathematics and Science
- Emphasis on collaborative and hands-on assessment methods
- Implementation of data-driven problem-solving exercises
Global Citizenship and Ethics
The curriculum places renewed emphasis on preparing students for global engagement:
- Languages promote multicultural communication and digital collaboration
- Social Studies emphasizes civic responsibility and global citizenship
- Religious Education addresses contemporary ethical dilemmas
- Creative Arts explores international digital platforms and markets
Implementation Implications for Educators
For junior school educators, these changes require:
- Enhanced digital competency across all subject areas
- Adaptation to relatively new assessment methodologies
- Integration of career readiness components into daily instruction
- Development of project-based learning approaches
- Understanding of global and environmental perspectives
The 2025 junior school curriculum reforms represent KICD’s commitment to preparing students for an increasingly digital and interconnected world. By emphasizing technology integration, career readiness, and global awareness, these changes aim to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed for success in higher education and future careers.
The success of this curriculum will depend significantly on effective implementation by educators and support from all education stakeholders.
Download a more detailed analysis of Junior School learning areas.
