The government has extended the Grade 10 reporting deadline after it emerged that close to 700,000 learners admitted to senior secondary schools are yet to report, raising concerns over the transition of the first cohort under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed that the Ministry of Education opted to grant more time to ensure no learner is locked out of school due to logistical or financial challenges. According to ministry data, only about 400,000 of the 1.1 million learners placed in senior schools had reported by the initial deadline.
Reporting rates vary sharply across school categories. National schools have recorded an impressive turnout of over 90 per cent, while extra-county schools stand at around 50 per cent. Sub-county schools have the lowest turnout, with less than 40 per cent of learners reporting so far.
It is within these lower-tier schools that the bulk of the unreported learners are concentrated.
Education officials attribute the low turnout mainly to financial constraints, with parents citing high initial costs ranging between Sh20,000 and Sh50,000 for uniforms, learning materials, bedding, and other requirements, in addition to official school fees. Long distances to schools, delayed transfers, and concerns over inadequate facilities,especially for science and technical pathways, have also contributed to the delay.
Speaking during school admission monitoring tours, Bitok reiterated the government’s commitment to 100 per cent transition, noting that the country has sufficient capacity, with about 1.5 million available Grade 10 slots for the 1.1 million learners. He urged parents to accept placements, particularly in sub-county schools, which still have significant space.
The Ministry of Education says it is working closely with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to address teacher shortages in specialised subjects and fast-track the equipping of laboratories and workshops required under the new curriculum.
With the deadline now extended, education authorities remain optimistic that more learners will report in the coming days, allowing learning to stabilise and the historic CBE transition to proceed smoothly.
