The government is prepared to transition grade 8 students to grade 9 under the new Competence Based Curriculum (CBC), as announced by Principal Secretary for Education Belio Kipsang.
Speaking in Nyandarua County after an assessment on the level of preparedness for transitioning the learners, Kipsang noted that all instructional materials have been furnished in all schools in junior and primary schools alongside training of teachers on the same.
He stated the goal is to complete the full cycle for all three levels of CBC, in line with the government directive to transition junior school to senior school by January 2026.
Additionally, the government is currently constructing 11,000 classrooms nationwide to fully implement junior schools. Meanwhile, the PS announced that the Ksh 3000 capitation allocated to schools will be utilised for maintenance and desk furnishing.
On the other hand, Kipsang revealed that in July this year, the Ministry of Education did an initial pilot on the assessment that the grade 9 learners will do next year, saying that it will help the teachers prepare fully for the type of assessment the learners will do next year.
Another pilot assessment is expected later this year for the grade 6 learners, being a replica of what the learners will do in November next year. Meanwhile, the second pilot will extrapolate placement for grade 10 learners in January 2026, focusing on STEM, humanities, creatives, and sports pathways.
“Learners will have the freedom to choose their pathway, unlike currently, where many categories are based on schools,” said the PS. However, each school will offer at least two pathways, with STEM being a compulsory pathway.
He added that starting January next year, the government will construct a laboratory in every school to be able to prepare for STEM learning. Currently, 1600 junior schools have no laboratories. Thus, his introduction of virtual labs will be a significant step towards leveraging technology.
On school inferno, the PS said that all the victims of the Endarasha Academy fire incident have been matched with their parents DNA.
He at the same time said that the government will review the schools’ safety manual to create a legal framework incorporating punitive measures that will be taken for those not adhering to safety measures.
By Kimani Tirus
