The Ministry of Education has announced a one-week window for the review of Senior School placements following concerns from parents and candidates regarding the transition to Grade 10.

In a statement released on Sunday, December 21, 2025, Principal Secretary Amb. (Prof.) Julius K. Bitok confirmed that the Ministry will open a seven-day review period starting Tuesday, December 23, 2025.

According to Bitok, this move aims to address dissatisfaction arising from the pioneer placement process under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.

“The Ministry will open a seven-day review of senior school choices on Tuesday, December 23rd. Candidates are advised to contact their Grade 9 schools or the Ministry of Education Sub- County and County offices to take advantage of this window through their respective heads of institutions. The review will be guided by an automated system that will match preferences to learners’ performance and the availability of slots in schools. During the review period, incorrect gender entries will also be addressed,” Bitok said in a statement

Addressing Placement Concerns

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While the Ministry noted that many learners successfully secured spots in their preferred schools, several factors have led to recent complaints, including high Competition, communication gaps and outcome variances.

“The Ministry is aware that some parents and candidates have expressed dissatisfaction with the placements,” Bitok stated. “We are dedicated to making the placement process as transparent, fair, and satisfactory as possible.”

During this review window, officials will also address incorrect gender entries and use an automated system to better match learner preferences with performance and available school capacity.

The New Assessment Model

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The transition marks a milestone for the CBE system, moving away from one-off examinations. The final placement is determined by a 20-20-60 weighted formula:

• 40%: Formative assessment from KPSEA (Grade 6).
• 20%: Continuous assessment from Grades 7 and 8.
• 60%: Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) results from Grade 9.

This year’s KJSEA results were released on December 11th, leading to the automated placement into one of three pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports.

According to the ministry, a key feature of CBE is the provision of pathway selection in Grade 9. This allows students to choose educational pathways that correspond with their demonstrated skills, interests, and aspirations.

The options are: (i) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), (ii) Social Sciences, and (iii) Arts and Sports. Learners are provided with 12 choices to make for their preferred senior schools (Grade 10), ranging from C1 to C4.

The options give learners a platform to select schools that match their competencies, preferences, and institutions’ capacities. This pathway selection exercise was concluded earlier this year, with each learner, under the guidance of parents and teachers, selecting a pathway featuring a three-subject-combination

Next Steps for Parents and Candidates

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The ministry further stated that candidates are advised to contact their Grade 9 schools or the Ministry of Education Sub- County and County offices to take advantage of this window through their respective heads of institutions.

The review will be guided by an automated system that will match preferences to learners’ performance and the availability of slots in schools.

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Statement from the ministry