The National Assembly has taken a significant step toward revolutionising education in Kenya by introducing a motion to include a core subject centred around sex education.
Kirinyaga Woman Representative, Jane Njeri Maina, tabled the motion in Parliament on Wednesday, July 26, seeking to address the existing gap in sex education, an area she argued is largely relegated to a few ill-equipped community-based organisations.
In the motion titled Introduction of Comprehensive Health Education as a Core Subject in Schools, Maina added that the proposed expansion of the school curriculum will ensure that students receive comprehensive and age-appropriate knowledge on the essential yet controversial topic.
“Improving public health is a fundamental responsibility of the Government, and it is imperative to address pressing health problems faced by young people.
“This includes poor sexual and reproductive health, inadequate knowledge and information regarding sexual health and protection against sexually transmitted infections,” Maina, one of the youngest Woman Representatives, explained.
In line with the motion, the House resolved that the National Government, through the State Department of Basic Education, introduces comprehensive health, wellness and sex education in the curriculum as a core subject in schools.
The parliamentarians believe incorporating sex education as a core subject will help youth access health care information and services.
Furthermore, comprehensive sexual education will promote morals among the youth and reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, according to lawmakers.
“This will also lower the incidences of teenage pregnancies, thus increasing school attendance and retention,” Maina, a member of the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition, added.
In January 2023, President William Ruto urged Woman Representatives to help fight against teenage pregnancies and female genital mutilation. The head of state pledged to eradicate FGM and support the MPs in their efforts to champion women's agenda.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 stated that teenage pregnancy in Kenya stood at 14 per cent as of January 2023. The survey revealed that poverty and lack of education contributed to 4 out of 10 reported adolescent pregnancies for women aged between 15 and 19.
Samburu recorded the highest rates of teen pregnancy at 50 per cent, West Pokot at 36 per cent, Marsabit at 29 per cent, and Narok at 28 per cent. Nyeri and Nyandarua counties reported the lowest rates at 5 per cent each.
Meanwhile, the State Department of Basic Education under the Ministry of Education is yet to respond to Njeri Maina's motion, which comes at a time when the government is overhauling the Competency-Based Curriculum.
President William is expected to release the final amendments proposed on CBC by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform before the end of 2023.
Currently, pupils under the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) system undertake the following subjects; Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Science and Technology, Social Studies, Home Science, and Arts and Craft. In the future, the government wants students to pursue three specialisation areas; Arts and Sport Science, Social Sciences and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
