RE: RE: Petition for Urgent Policy and Legislative Interventions to Reverse the Decline in STEM Uptake and Strengthen Computer Science Education in Kenya
Fred Sagwe
Subject: Petition for Urgent Policy and Legislative Interventions to Reverse the Decline in STEM Uptake and Strengthen Computer Science Education in Kenya
To:
The Clerk of the National Assembly,
Parliament Buildings,
P.O. Box 41842-00100
Nairobi.
Cc:
Ministry of Education
Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)
Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC)
Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA)
Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman Kenya)
Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy
Ministry of Interior and National Administration
We, the undersigned, state as follows:
1. Urgency of the Matter
Kenya is facing a worrying decline in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) uptake among students, despite being at a pivotal moment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Without urgent intervention, the nation risks falling behind in global competitiveness, innovation, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Kenya introduced coding into its school curriculum in 2022, using platforms like Scratch and Python as part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). However, the initiative faces significant hurdles, including a shortage of trained teachers, inadequate infrastructure, and the high cost of resources. These challenges have created a persistent digital divide, limiting the program's reach and effectiveness, especially in rural areas.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will prioritize STEM subject teachers in the upcoming recruitment of 24,000 intern teachers for junior secondary schools. The commission has repeatedly highlighted a nationwide shortage of science teachers, with many schools inadequately staffed in these subjects. This preference for STEM teachers was also observed in previous recruitment drives, where candidates with science and technical skills had a higher success rate.
2. Importance of Distinguishing Computer Science from IT
While Information Technology (IT) often overlaps with computer science, IT is mainly focused on industrial applications such as installing and operating software rather than creating it. IT professionals often rely on a computer science foundation but focus on usage and deployment.
By contrast, Computer Science emphasizes why and how computers work—the core knowledge required to create technologies, innovate, and ensure digital rights and responsibilities.
A shift from computer literacy to computer science is a key global trend. Nations are moving away from teaching students merely how to use applications, toward teaching computational thinking, programming, robotics, AI, data science, and cybersecurity. This shift is most advanced in high-income countries that have invested in curriculum reform and teacher training, while low-income nations, including Kenya, continue to lag due to infrastructure, funding, and teacher capacity gaps.
The UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2023 highlights this digital divide: wealthier nations increasingly make digital skills and computer science compulsory, while lower-income nations lack access to electricity, internet, and trained teachers and educators.
3. Weaknesses in the Current Curriculum
Kenya’s current Computer Studies curriculum is inadequate. Though robotics is mentioned in the Grade 7–9 curriculum, there is no meaningful hands-on learning, rendering it ineffective. The reliance on a single introductory tool such as Scratch is insufficient to prepare students for the complexities of modern programming and emerging technologies like AI, cybersecurity, and data science. This prepares students for the past, not the future.
4. The Looming AI Threat to Education Integrity
The rapid rise of AI tools such as ChatGPT has exposed vulnerabilities in our examination system. Demonstrations by the Robotics Society of Kenya (RSK) have shown that AI can compromise web-based assessments, undermining the credibility of national exams. This highlights the urgent need for AI-resistant assessment systems, and for a curriculum that embeds digital ethics, cybersecurity awareness, and responsible AI use so that our youth are creators, not just consumers of AI.
5. Financial Barriers to STEM Innovation
Unlike music, drama, and sports, STEM extracurriculars such as robotics lack structured financial and policy support. This has created inequity in access, particularly for marginalized communities.
The situation is worsened by the Kenya Science and Engineering Fair (KSEF) policy that mandates the use of proprietary LEGO robotics kits costing over Kshs 85,000. This excludes affordable open-source alternatives like Arduino (Kshs 7,000), Raspberry Pi Pico (Kshs 1,500), and BBC Micro:bit (Kshs 7,000). Such exclusivity fosters elitism, locks out schools, and denies Kenya the chance to build a locally relevant, scalable robotics culture.
Why This Matters: The Path to Digital Leadership
A strong Computer Science education is a necessity, not a luxury.
- Drive Economic Growth: A digitally skilled workforce will attract investment, spur innovation, and boost competitiveness. With up to 230 million digital jobs projected in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 (Mastercard Whitepaper), Kenya must seize this opportunity.
- Ensure National Security: Digital literacy in cybersecurity and ethical AI use is vital for resilience in the data-driven world.
- Empower Youth: Equips young people with the skills to solve real-world challenges in healthcare, agriculture, finance, and conservation.
Recognizing CSTA Kenya as the national professional body for computing educators will be a game-changer. This will ensure structured professional development, provide a coordinated network for educators to share best practices, and facilitate partnerships with global organizations and industry leaders. It will fill a critical gap left by the current system, where the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), while responsible for teacher development, lacks the specialized focus on emerging technologies.
Prayer of the Petition
We therefore humbly petition the National Assembly to:
1. Recognize and Grant Authority to CSTA Kenya:
- Recognize the Computer Science Teachers Association of Kenya (CSTA Kenya) as the national professional body for computer science educators.
- Mandate it to support computing education, provide professional development and certification, build a national teacher network, and partner with global organizations such as CSTA International and CSTA America.
2. Mandate an Urgent Curriculum Review:
- Direct KICD to urgently reform the national Computer Studies curriculum.
- Introduce progressive, scaffolded computer science education from primary to senior secondary school.
- Incorporate hands-on learning in AI, Robotics, Data Science, and Cybersecurity.
- Embrace open-source platforms (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Micro:bit) to ensure affordable and locally aligned innovation.
- Treat Computer Science as a core scientific discipline, not a technical afterthought.
- Embed digital ethics and responsible AI across all levels of learning.
3. Establish a National Policy & Funding Framework for STEM and Robotics:
- Provide dedicated funding for robotics clubs and STEM extracurriculars in all schools, including marginalized regions.
- Direct KSEF to end restrictive single-sourcing of robotics kits, allowing affordable, open-source alternatives.
- Foster public-private partnerships inspired by Young Scientists Kenya (YSK) and the Huawei ICT Competition, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
- Explore the creation of a national robotics office or dedicated STEM innovation fund, drawing lessons from global precedents in the U.S., China, and EU.
Conclusion
Kenya stands at a crossroads. To reverse the decline in STEM uptake and prepare youth for the Age of AI, bold action is needed. Recognizing CSTA Kenya as the national professional body, reforming the curriculum, and funding STEM extracurriculars will ensure equity, innovation, and future-readiness.
This is the wake-up call Kenya cannot afford to ignore.
Join the CSTA Kenya: https://forms.gle/FfQ8zJtkqUX4AfyH7
X-platform: https://x.com/CSTAKenya/status/1957520965899895016
About CSTA Kenya
The Computer Science Teachers Association of Kenya (CSTA Kenya), is a national professional body for computing educators in Kenya. Its goal is to support the teaching of computer science and other computing disciplines. Based on a legislative proposal from 2025, the CSTA Kenya aims to serve as the national professional body for computing teachers, support the implementation of the "Kenya Computer Science for All" Bill, 2025, and provide continuous professional development and certification programs for teachers in areas like AI, robotics, data science, and cybersecurity. Additionally, it seeks to build a national network of educators to share best practices and resources while partnering with global organizations and industry leaders to facilitate teacher training and student development. In essence, CSTA Kenya's role is to ensure that Kenyan educators are well-equipped to train the next generation of tech innovators, aligning with the country's national digital master plan and strategies.
Respectfully submitted,
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Signed,
Yours,
Fred Sagwe
Classroom Teacher, Sajiloni Girls Secondary, Chairperson, Computer Science Teachers Association of Kenya (CSTA Kenya), and Lead Organizer: Nakuru Scratch Educator Meetups
Email:csta...@gmail.com
Mobile:+254715949845
