Govt Moves to Allay Fears Over 1.1 Million Grade 9 Learners Placement Crisis

Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok has assured parents and learners that all Grade 9 candidates sitting for this year’s national examinations will smoothly transition to Grade 10 under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

This comes as more than 2.4 million learners across the country began their national assessments on Monday, October 27.

Of these, 1.13 million are in Grade 9 taking the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), while 1.29 million Grade 6 pupils are sitting for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).

The PS, while overseeing the opening of examination containers at Olympic Primary School in Kibra, Nairobi, on Monday, said the government has made adequate preparations to ensure the examinations run smoothly and that every learner will secure a place in senior school.

PS Bitok Says 2.4 Million Slots Available for Learners Transitioning to Grade 10

Bitok noted that the ministry recorded a competition for slots in popular senior schools.

However, despite this, he assured that there are enough schools to ensure no candidate will fail to transition to the next grade.

“We have 2.4 million spaces available for transition to Grade 10. Every learner will get a place,” he said.

At the same time, the PS added that all necessary logistics had been put in place, with exam materials already distributed and security enhanced in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior.

“Everything is ready. The learners have been prepared, the exams have been delivered, and all officials are in place. We expect a smooth and professional exercise,” he said.

Prof. Bitok also confirmed that funds to support the administration of the exams had been released to schools that completed data verification, ensuring no candidate is left out due to financial constraints.

“We have sent money to all schools that completed data verification. No learner should be inconvenienced,” he added.

Also Read: EXPLAINED: How Grade 9 Learners Will Join Senior School in 2026

Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) CEO Dr. David Njengere noted that both KPSEA and KJSEA assessments are part of the ongoing implementation of CBE, which emphasizes continuous evaluation rather than one-time high-stakes exams.

“We have both summative and continuous tests. Learners already have 40 percent of their marks from school-based assessments. What they are doing now accounts for the remaining 60 percent, ” Njengere explained.

Also Read: Ministry of Education to Reopen JSS Placement to Allow Learners Change School Choices

Senior School Transition

As part of the transition from JSS to senior secondary education, students will be placed into one of three Senior School pathways based on their talents, interests, and potential.

The pathways include Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

The CBE Senior Secondary phase focuses on developing learners’ intellectual abilities through the introduction of a more personalized and holistic approach to education.

Schools have been categorized into four clusters: Cluster 1 (formerly national schools), Cluster 2 (extra-county schools), Cluster 3 (county schools), and Cluster 4 (day schools).

Bitok had earlier said the Ministry of Education is working closely with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Kenya Literature Bureau to ensure textbooks and learning materials are available for grade 10 students starting January next year.

Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.