The government has announced that a simpler mathematics and science curriculum will come into effect next year. The curriculum is formulated for secondary school students who will not wish to pursue the subjects at a higher level, college or university. In the new curriculum, secondary school students will instead be taught functional skills that would give them basic mathematics and science knowledge. It will not require laboratories since there will be no practicals to be done by the students. Does this mean that those who will choose the new curriculum will not get experience in the laboratories? Mrs Lydia Nzomo, director of the Kenya Institute of Education says, “We want to have flexibility in the curriculum because we have been accused of being too rigid,” She said that preparations to roll out the new programme are ready including the teacher’s handbook, publishers and the Kenya National Examination Council. The exam council is said to have already prepared to administer the examinations, which will affect current form three students and class seven pupils. Nzomo said the new curriculum was formed on the basis that not all students have the interest and aptitude to pursue careers and courses requiring high competence in mathematics and sciences however, the curriculum is not meant to divide students.