Ministry of Education opens review window for KJSEA learners’ senior school placements
By Faith Lagat, December 21, 2025The Ministry of Education has announced a seven-day review window starting Tuesday, December 23, to address concerns over the placement of Grade 9 learners into senior schools.
The move comes after some parents and candidates expressed dissatisfaction with the automated placement process under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
In an official statement, Principal Secretary for Basic Education Julius Bitok acknowledged the challenges faced during the pioneer transition to Grade 10.
“While many learners have been placed in their schools of choice, the Ministry is aware that some parents and candidates have expressed dissatisfaction with the placements,” the statement reads.
It attributes the issues to high 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.
Processes and pathways explained
The review period allows candidates to revisit their senior school choices through their respective heads of institutions.
Parents and learners are advised to contact their Grade 9 schools or the ministry’s sub-county and county offices. The automated system will match preferences with performance and available slots while also correcting any incorrect gender entries.
This development follows the release of results from the pioneer Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) on December 11. The exams, conducted in November, form 60% of learners’ overall assessment under CBE’s 20-20-60 percent model, with the remaining 40% coming from formative assessments, including the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) in Grade 6 and continuous teacher evaluations in Grades 7 and 8.
A key pillar of CBE is pathway selection in Grade 9, enabling students to choose from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; or Arts and Sports. Learners, guided by parents and teachers, selected a three-subject combination and listed up to 12 preferred senior schools earlier this year.
Transparency and stakeholder engagement
“The Competency-Based Education (CBE) is founded on the necessity of aligning the education system with national development goals, global education trends, and the equipping of learners with relevant skills and competencies for a competitive local and international job market,” the ministry emphasised.
It added that CBE de-escalates the focus on one-off examinations as a measure of learners’ true competencies.
Bitok reassured stakeholders, stating, “Being a pioneer undertaking, the government appreciates and empathises with parents, learners, and other stakeholders’ anxieties and uncertainties around the transition to Grade 10. We are dedicated to making the placement process as transparent, fair, and satisfactory as possible while taking into account learners’ preferences and the capacities and available pathways in respective schools.”
The Ministry encouraged constructive engagement from all parties, saying, “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.”