The government has affirmed its readiness for the Grade 10 transition in January 2026, under the Competency-Based Education (CBE), amid growing concerns from school heads and stakeholders over the level of preparedness.
The concerns range from adequacy of facilities, sustainable financing, retooling of teachers in career pathways, and congestion.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba has, however, dispelled the fears and concerns, saying the government was fully prepared to transition all Grade 9 learners to Grade 10.
“The government is prepared to ensure that transition is smooth, and learners are currently choosing their career pathways and the schools,” he said.
Speaking at the University of Embu grounds while opening the 6th Edition of Evidence in East Africa (EE4A) Biennial Conference, the CS said the transition to grade 10 will be an easier task than the earlier transition to grade nine, which was much more difficult for lack of infrastructure.
“We had to do 23,000 classrooms to ensure Grade Nine learners were properly settled,” he reported, noting that transitioning to Grade 10 will have no such challenges, since last year there was no Form One class and those transitioning to grade 10 will occupy those spaces.
He said that the new CBE Senior Secondary phase focuses on developing learners’ intellectual abilities through the introduction of a more personalized and holistic approach to education.
This, he said, will be done by offering students the opportunity to pursue one of the three key pathways, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; or Performing Arts and Sports.
Additionally, Ogamba said preparation of textbooks for Grade 10 was on course and will be in schools by December in preparation for the January rollout.
He also said they are doing 1,600 laboratories, whose construction will commence in September and be fully done and equipped by December.
“We are moving towards that transition smoothly and making it seamless as possible,” he reiterated.
By Samuel Waititu
