Africa-Press – Kenya. The Ministry of Education has announced a seven-day review window for senior school placements, set to open on Tuesday, December 23. This follows concerns raised by some parents and learners over the initial allocation of Grade 10 slots under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
In a statement, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the review is intended to address placement-related grievances arising after the release of the pioneer Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) results earlier this month.
A total of 1,130,459 candidates sat the assessment in November, with results officially released on December 11. Bitok said while a significant number of learners secured placement in schools they selected, he acknowledged that dissatisfaction has been reported in some quarters.
He attributed this largely to stiff competition and limited admission slots in popular schools, misaligned communication between parents, learners and heads of institutions in selected schools and variances between selected pathways and assessment outcomes.
To address the concerns, Bitok said the ministry will allow candidates to seek a review of their senior school choices during the seven-day window. “Candidates are advised to contact their Grade 9 schools or the Ministry of Education Subcounty and County offices to take advantage of this window through their respective heads of institutions,” the PS said.
He explained that the ministry placed learners into senior schools using an automated system, taking into account learners’ choices, performance and other parameters aimed at promoting merit, equity and fairness in the allocation of available slots.
He said the review process will also be automated and will match revised preferences to learners’ performance and the availability of vacancies in schools. During the same period, the ministry will correct errors related to incorrect gender entries that may have affected placements.
Bitok emphasised that the transition to senior school marks a historic milestone, being the first cohort to move through the full junior-to-senior pathway under CBE.
“Being a pioneer undertaking, the government appreciates and empathises with parents, learners and other stakeholders’ anxieties and uncertainties around the transition to Grade 10,” he said.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency and fairness, while taking into account learners’ preferences and the capacities and available pathways in respective schools.
The PS urged parents, learners and school administrators to engage constructively during the review period as the system continues to be refined. “We encourage all involved parties to engage constructively in the placement process as we collectively refine and strengthen CBE for the benefit of our learners,” he said.
Under the CBE framework, learner evaluation combines formative and summative assessments weighted at 20-20-60 per cent. Twenty per cent is drawn from the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) in Grade 6, another 20 per cent from continuous teacher assessments in Grades 7 and 8, while the remaining 60 per cent is derived from the KJSEA administered in Grade 9.
Upon transition to senior school (Grade 10 to Grade 12), learners 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.
The pathway selection exercise was concluded in May, with each learner, under the guidance of parents and teachers, selecting a pathway featuring a three-subject combination.
Learners were also provided with 12 choices to make for their preferred senior schools, ranging from C1 to C4. The options give learners a platform to select schools that match their competencies, preferences and institutions’ capacities.
