1.2 million Grade 9 learners to join senior school in January 2026
Kiptanui Cherono-KNA
All the current 1.2 million Grade 9 learners will transition to senior schools in January 2026.
The Ministry of Education is developing guidelines and modalities to ensure every Grade 9 learner gets an opportunity in senior school.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok said, “We are giving every child a chance, irrespective of the grades they attain at Grade 9, everybody must go to senior school to pursue the choice subjects,” the PS said.
“This will be the most single challenging issue in our curriculum-based education- CBE, considering it is the first time we are transitioning all the 1.2 million Grade 9 students to senior school,” he added.
He was speaking in Turbo constituency where he was launching infrastructure projects in various schools.
Grade 9 students are currently applying for senior schools that have been categorized into four clusters, with Cluster 1 comprising 255 former national schools, Cluster 2 formerly extra county schools have 755 schools, Cluster 3 comprising 1,300 former county schools, and Cluster 4 comprising 7,250 former days schools and sub-county schools.
“The ministry decided to start the process early for students in junior school to select their career paths and subject clusters with support from their teachers in consultations with parents so that come January 2026, all the 1.2m will be able to get space in senior school,” he said.
The PS said the government has employed a technology-based system to enable all secondary schools to upload the requirements.
“Students and their parents, with assistance from the teachers, can log on to: selection.education.go.ke,
As part of it is commitment to ensure quality education, the government will construct 1,600 laboratories across the country between July and December this year, he added.
Prof Bitok said the ministry will continue to liaise with the National Treasury to ensure that in the future education funds are set aside to reach schools on time, although challenges in disbursing capitation to schools due to exchequer issues have been encountered.
“The government is doing all it can to ensure our children get quality education. Two weeks ago, we managed to release Sh2 billion in capitation to support schools in their management,” he added.
He said the ministry continues to strengthen the Kenya Education Management Information System, KEMIS, to ensure every school in Kenya receives funding according to the number of students.
The PS said the development of education calls for concerted effort, saying stakeholders in the education sector have continued to show support which has contributed to the development of the sector.
They include national government, county government, NG-CDF, education investors and the religious sector among other players.
He said the government is committed to continuously improving infrastructure in public schools to ensure all learners undertake their studies in good classes.
“The Ministry of Education will join hands with all stakeholders in the modernization of schools. Learning will greatly improve if it is undertaken in a good environment.
“Mud wall structures have no place in the modern world, and we will eliminate them across the country, replacing them with modern schools,” he said.
Among the schools the PS visited were Kaplelach, Cheremei, Kapsaos, and St. Paul Sambut Secondary Schools where he launched infrastructure projects.