Second-last KCSE as old model is phased out

The 2023 cohort of Standard Eight learners was the last to sit the Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (KCPE) examinations paving the way for the Ministry of Education to work on a phase-out plan for the 38-year-old 8-4-4 curriculum.

And yesterday, it became clear that the plan is now mature, with the release of the 2024 KCSE results, the gradual phase-out of an examination that has been offered for 35 years began.

Education Cabinet Secretary, Dr Julius Ogamba at Mitihani House in Nairobi said the last 8-4-4 examination is expected to be held in 2027.

“In sync with these changes, our first cohorts of KCPE learners who joined Grade 9 this year will be transitioning to Grade 10 in 2026, calling for an urgent and formidable measure to ensure our senior schools are ready for the Competence Based Curriculum pioneers,” the CS said.

Turning point

This is part of the proposed reforms under the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER.

He noted that the start of the 2025 academic calendar year on Monday this week marked a turning point in the government’s sustained implementation of the CBC.

One of the reasons the government chose to phase out the 8-4-4 system, was its emphasis on academic achievement at the expense of holistic development. Critics say the 8-4-4 system’s emphasis on good grades encouraged learners to cram concepts instead of seeking to acquire knowledge, resultantly flooding the job market with educated but unskilled workers.

Yesterday, the CS confirmed the ministry has already worked on guidelines for the transition and placement of learners to grade 10. This, he added, is to ensure that all key players have taken part in the formation of the guidelines.

“We will be subjecting the draft documents to a stakeholder validation exercise from February 2025,” he said.

The CS noted that having successfully transitioned to the highest level in junior school, the government’s focus will now shift to starting off senior school in January 2026.

Under the senior school, the government, according to Ogamba, is expected to mount three pathways for the learners. It’s prioritising the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), social sciences, and the arts and sports pathway.