More than one million Grade 9 learners have started selecting their senior school pathways under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), marking a key phase in Kenya's education reform.Each learner is expected to choose three subject combinations and four schools per pathway using a new automated platform-selection.education.go.ke-rolled out by the Ministry of Education.Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the process will run from Sunday, June 9 to Sunday, June 30.
Learners are guided by their teachers to select 12 schools in total based on individual interests, performance and school capacity."The Ministry has rolled out the preparations for transition of Grade 10 in 2026.
This involves selection of pathways, subjects' combinations and senior schools," said Bitok.He explained that each school must upload subject offerings and declare available capacity, with Sub-County Directors expected to vet combinations to ensure quality and balance in demand.Learners with special needs are allowed to pick fewer schools focused on institutions that offer appropriate support."All field officers are expected to support this process," noted Bitok.The CBC offers three career pathways-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science. Some senior schools have been categorised as Triple Pathway Schools, offering all three options, while others are Dual Pathway Schools, offering two.Bitok said the placement process will consider the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA), which carries 60 per cent weight, and School-Based Assessments (SBAs) from Grades Seven and Eight, each contributing 20 per cent.The combined score will determine placement into senior schools, matching performance with student choices. The government has mapped schools and identified their capacity to host learners based on declared ability and infrastructure.To support this shift, over 9,000 senior school principals have been trained by the Teachers Service Commission on guiding learners through the new system.Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Willie Kuria said schools are prepared to admit learners."Senior school is a pre-career phase.
Our job is to ensure every learner is placed where their interests, talents and academic potential can be nurtured fully," said Kuria.
