As the country prepares for the historic transition to grade 10 under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) in January 2026, parents are being urged to support their children in selecting a senior secondary school and aligning their chosen pathway with career goals.
Under CBE, learners entering senior school will pursue one of three pathways: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Social Sciences, Arts, and Sports Science.
During a recent prize-giving event at Mama Ngina Girls’ High School, Prof. Leila Abubakar, Vice‑Chancellor of the Technical University of Mombasa, said the new education model will nurture talents, accelerate learning and foster creativity, unlike the rote learning under the 8-4-4 system.
Mama Ngina, a national school, she says, will be able to offer all three pathways when it transitions to a senior school under CBE. She lauded teachers in grades 8 and 9 for their dedication in preparing learners for the transition to senior schools.
“Initially, like any other thing, it has its own issues at the beginning; parents are not able to know, but I know the teachers now have gone through those pathways; they have been able to know and align to those pathways,” stated Prof. Abubakar.
In retrospect, she noted that the pathways are not new, as students who went through A levels in the 7-4-2-3 education model.
“I believe that it will be a good transition, and it will be very smooth. The students will now be able to take the courses. So that by the time they go to the university during placement, they already know which courses or pathways they are going to take,” she said.
“Rather than a student is doing well in sciences and not doing well in humanities, or vice versa, you find that their mean grade keeps going down, but now they already have their pathway charted, and they will do well in the subjects which they have chosen,” she added.
The VC also encouraged coastal region schools to have the Blue Economy under technical education, whereby marine is one of the courses.
“That is a pathway that schools from the coast region need to take up and actually be able to offer that pathway. I think it is very important, and you know very well that the government now is keen on the blue economy”.
On her part, the Chief Principal of Mama Ngina, Mrs Mwanahamisi Omar, confirmed that they are ready for the transition and the school wants to take up the new courses under the CBE.
“I believe we are very ready for it,” she stated, urging parents to support their children while in school for their performance to improve.
County Education Officer Samuel Kiragu affirmed that schools in the region can offer the three pathways and has recommended that schools urge parents to help their children select their preferred Senior Schools.
By Sadik Hassan
