From Rote to Reasoning: Transforming STEM Teaching Through Mentorship
This year, Year 9 learners across Kenya face one of the biggest academic decisions of their lives: choosing a career pathway. For the first time under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), students must pick from three streams—STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports Science.
This is more than just a curriculum change. It marks a major shift in how Kenya’s next generation of innovators, workers, and entrepreneurs will be shaped.
With the government requiring all schools to offer STEM and targeting 60% STEM enrolment by Year 10, the spotlight is firmly on how prepared students are to make this choice—and how well they understand what it means for their futures.
The truth is, STEM is a powerful engine for economic growth. Globally, it’s driving innovation in IT, healthcare, green energy, agriculture, and more. In Kenya, where over 75% of the population is under 35, investing in STEM education means unlocking job opportunities and building industries of the future.
But simply offering STEM as an option isn’t enough. Students need more than curriculum they need mentorship. They need guidance, motivation, and exposure. Infrastructure matters, but so does the human connection that helps learners link their talents and dreams to real-world opportunities.
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This is where mentorship and career guidance come in. Often overlooked in education policy, these softer elements are essential to helping learners make informed, confident choices. If the CBC is truly learner-centred, then we must start putting the learner’s questions, fears, hopes, and strengths at the heart of the transition.
National career fairs, innovation contests, and science exhibitions are key tools. These platforms turn abstract learning into lived experience. The upcoming Young Scientists Kenya (YSK) National Science and Technology Exhibition is a great example.
At this event, 150 student teams from all 47 counties will showcase their innovations, pitch their ideas, and defend them in front of experts, teachers, and the public. These interactions give learners a glimpse of what’s possible, build their confidence, and often reshape their career ambitions.
This kind of exposure isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity. For learners to aspire, they must first be inspired. And that inspiration often comes from being seen, supported, and challenged to imagine a bigger future.
