Education Crisis: Over 700,000 Grade 9 Learners Stranded at Home as Parents Panic Over Grade 10 Reporting

The government has come under sharp criticism over what education stakeholders describe as poor planning and inefficiencies that have left more than 700,000 Grade Nine learners unable to report for Grade 10 by last weekend.

Education experts say the crisis has been worsened by late communication from the State, rising costs, hidden charges, frequent transfers and placement challenges—factors that have frustrated parents already grappling with a high cost of living.

Elimu Bora Policy and Strategy Advisor Boaz Waruku blamed the situation on the government’s failure to prepare parents and schools in good time, saying crucial information should have been released earlier.

“Many have not reported because of poor preparations by the State, which should have released information earlier to give parents time to prepare,” Waruku said.

He further argued that the education system appears to have reintroduced competition for “top schools” despite earlier efforts to do away with the old ranking culture.

“We also thought categorisation of schools into national, provincial and district schools had ended with the Prof Munavu report. This creates pressure for kids to join the top ranked schools (C1 and C2),” he said.

Waruku’s remarks come amid fresh debate on the government’s decision to reclassify schools into C1, C2, C3 and C4. This is despite proposals by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), released in August 2023, which recommended scrapping the traditional school categorisation in favour of a career-based model.

The Prof Raphael Munavu-led taskforce proposed three broad clusters, STEM, Social Sciences and Arts, and Sports Science and suggested the Ministry of Education discontinue the old school labels of National, Extra-County, County and Sub-County.

However, concerns are now mounting that day schools, now largely grouped as C4, face an uncertain future due to inadequate infrastructure, with reports indicating that in some schools, not a single learner had reported by last weekend. By last Sunday, only 61 per cent of learners had reportedly reported to senior school.

Mount Kenya University (MKU) Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University Council Dr. Vincent Gaitho warned that the Competency-Based Education (CBE) transition was predictable and should not have caught the country off guard.

“The Competency-Based Education system is not an accident. Students are being forced to attend local day schools instead of dream national schools where they were invited to. We should have been better prepared. Kenya is 63 years old,” Dr. Gaitho said.

He expressed concern over what could happen in the coming years if infrastructure and capacity gaps are not addressed urgently, especially as the first CBE cohort progresses.

“It scares me what will happen in 2029 when Cohort 1 of CBE enters university. We must invest and be prepared to face the challenge head on. The Cabinet Secretary for Education should be able to steer the process. The entire ecosystem must work; the Education ministry, politicians and NG-CDF,” he said.

Dr. Gaitho also questioned why the burden of solving education challenges appears to be shifting to the President, saying key ministries and institutions should take responsibility.

“Everything is now being left to the President. Are the CSs working? What happened to 100 per cent transition? Why is this impossible with CBE?” he posed.

He added that inequality in learning conditions continues to affect learner performance across the country, even though they sit the same national assessments.

“While all students take the same exam, some get lower marks due to lack of teachers, laboratories and poor facilities. Some have to imagine how a computer or a swimming pool looks like,” he said.

Dr. Gaitho noted that although the number of learners attaining C+ and above, the minimum university qualification, has been rising, there is still need to reassess technical training structures and investment, including the role of private sector players.

“There is a need to review the TVET curriculum. Private sector schools in basic education are also not investing in private senior schools,” he said.

The concerns were raised during a panel discussion hosted by a local TV station to examine the crisis surrounding the current intake of learners into senior secondary schools.

Former nominated MP and Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the crisis did not start with the Grade 10 transition, but began years ago when curriculum changes were introduced without proper groundwork.

“We are not tracing the root cause of the problem. It started in 2016 when the change of curriculum was introduced without proper planning,” Sossion said.

He recalled that in 2022, KNUT produced a report warning of the collapse of basic education, largely due to inadequate teacher preparedness for the new curriculum.

“Teachers were not prepared for the CBC curriculum. The government admitted its mistakes and said curricula review was an ongoing process,” he said, adding that the State had since embarked on reforms at the Teachers Service Commission and introduced extensive curriculum adjustments.

Sossion praised the decision to place junior secondary schools within primary schools, saying it helped prevent senior schools from being overwhelmed.

On the current Grade 10 reporting crisis, he said the cost burden on parents has increased demand for bursaries, while some parents remain selective about the schools offered.

“School fees are putting pressure on parents and on demand for bursaries. Parents are also choosy on the schools available. There is need to mop up the pupils at home,” he said.

Former Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu faulted what he described as failure of government institutions, saying weak implementation of education reforms has left hundreds of thousands of learners stranded.

“Government institutions are not working, resulting in 700,000 learners being stranded at home. Presidential commissions’ reports in the education sector are not implemented,” Chanzu said.

He also questioned the government’s messaging on teacher employment, arguing that the education system still lacks proper coordination and accountability.

“The President keeps boasting about how many teachers he has employed. Where is the TSC?” he asked.

Chanzu further criticised what he termed as lack of continuous investment and weak oversight across key institutions, blaming corruption and poor leadership for persistent education failures.

“Commissions, Parliament and other institutions are not working. It starts with corruption in the General Elections process, which results in poor leadership,” he said.

The panelists argued that learners and parents were let down at the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) stage, with unresolved challenges in junior secondary schools such as inadequate teachers and poor infrastructure still being evident.

Sossion said the country must urgently strengthen day schools because the majority of learners in senior secondary institutions are already day scholars.

“About 74 per cent in senior schools are day scholars. Transition to day schools must be going up towards 80 per cent. This can only happen if we invest in quality laboratories, classrooms and other facilities. Transition to senior schools is not a choice,” he said, adding that a skilled workforce is key to economic growth.

Chanzu also raised concerns over accountability in education spending, saying a significant portion of the national budget goes to the sector but with limited transparency.

“A huge part of the national budget in Kenya is going to education without proper accountability,” he said.

He faulted the leadership within the education docket, claiming senior officials rarely visit schools to understand challenges on the ground.

“The CS Education is not visiting schools like the CS for Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen, is doing in security. He has meetings with chiefs, sub-chiefs and police in regions to motivate them while at the same time understanding challenges from the ground level,” Chanzu said.

He argued that the government’s information and reporting systems are failing, from advisory committees to the Treasury, and called for scrutiny of how resources such as NG-CDF funds are used.

“It is high time we looked into the information flow. Are there leakages? The NG-CDF has a lot of money, about Sh170 million for some constituencies. Parliament is not supervising the use of NG-CDF,” he said.

Waruku also criticised delays and inadequacy in the release of capitation funds to schools, saying institutions are often forced to use the little they receive to clear past debts.

He lamented that even the figure of more than 700,000 learners still at home did not come from the Ministry of Education, but from the Ministry of Interior.

“Even the information about 700,000 learners still at home came from the Ministry of Interior,” he said.

Sossion called for stronger quality assurance and accountability in school buildings being constructed using NG-CDF funds, saying poor supervision is leaving some schools behind despite heavy demand elsewhere.

“There is no supervision on the use of CDF funds. Some schools have over 100,000 applications, yet nobody wants to join others. The CDF can remain with MPs, but we need accountability,” he said.

He proposed a national forum on NG-CDF accountability, saying it could help address the gaps affecting infrastructure and student placement.

“Maybe a national conference on NG-CDF accountability now could be a starting point,” Sossion added.

The panelists agreed that unless urgent reforms are implemented, particularly around infrastructure, funding, accountability and timely communication, more learners could continue being stranded at home, threatening the success of the CBE transition and the goal of 100 per cent transition to senior school.