Doubt Over CBE Transition as Learners Sent Home Despite Govt Assurances
Questions are mounting over Kenya’s transition to senior secondary under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system after reports emerged of learners being sent home shortly after reporting to school.
Questions are mounting over Kenya’s transition to senior secondary under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system after reports emerged of learners being sent home shortly after reporting to school.
The development has cast doubt on government claims that a mop-up exercise had ensured a near 100 per cent transition of Grade 9 learners to Grade 10.
According to reports, some students placed in various schools were turned away due to capacity challenges, missing documentation, or unclear placement details—raising fresh concerns about the preparedness of institutions to absorb the first CBE cohort.
The Ministry of Education had earlier maintained that the transition process was largely successful, with over 1.5 million learners placed in senior schools across the country following the 2025 assessments.
However, the latest incidents suggest gaps in coordination, with parents and students left stranded despite official assurances that all eligible learners had been accommodated.
Education stakeholders now warn that the situation risks undermining confidence in the new system, especially as this marks the first full transition under CBE, a reform designed to align education with skills, talent, and career pathways.
The government had deployed administrators and local officials to trace and return learners who had not reported to school, insisting no child should be left behind.
Despite these efforts, emerging cases of learners being sent home point to deeper structural challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited school capacity, and logistical hurdles in placement and reporting.
Analysts say the success of CBE hinges not just on placement numbers, but on the system’s ability to seamlessly absorb learners and provide a conducive learning environment.
With schools already open, attention is now shifting to how quickly authorities can resolve the emerging gaps to ensure affected learners return to class without further disruption.
BY EMMANUEL
