Grade 10 Admission Crisis: Thika Schools Principals Raise Alarm Over Grade 10 Admission Surge

Secondary schools in Thika are facing an unexpected spike in applications for Grade 10 admission beyond the official government placements, putting serious strain on school facilities and administrators.

At Chania Boys High School, the situation has become particularly intense. Although the Ministry of Education has already placed more than 500 Grade 10 learners at the school, parents have since submitted over 3,000 additional applications in a bid to secure more spaces for their children.

The school’s principal, James Gitau, said the number of applicants could rise even further when learners officially begin reporting next week.

“We have already been allocated more than 500 students by the ministry, yet at our gate we are dealing with over 3,000 more applicants. Files keep piling up, but the reality is that we simply do not have the space to accommodate them,” Gitau said.

A similar scenario is playing out at the neighbouring Thika High School, where parents have been streaming in daily hoping for last-minute admission opportunities.

Principal Julius Muraya noted that the pressure from parents has persisted for several weeks, leaving school administrators struggling to manage the constant demand.

“Parents whose children performed well in junior school examinations but were placed in schools they consider far or not commensurate with their scores have been crowding our offices. Unfortunately, we are unable to assist them due to capacity constraints,” Muraya explained.

The two principals warned that unless the placement concerns are addressed, anxiety among parents may continue to rise, despite the fact that schools are now preparing to receive learners who were officially posted by the government.

Gitau also urged parents to reconsider the belief that quality education can only be found in boarding schools, saying the mindset continues to fuel unnecessary competition for limited spaces.

“The belief that quality education can only be found in boarding schools must end. In many developed countries, boarding schools are not even popular. We need to equip our day schools and have confidence in them,” he said.

Even as demand continues to grow, both principals confirmed that their institutions are ready to admit the Grade 10 learners already assigned to them. They said teachers have recently been trained under the new curriculum and the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the three pathways approved by the government.

The surge in demand has also been linked to improved academic performance by the two extra-county schools in the most recent Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results.

Chania Boys High School recorded a mean score of 7.6, producing three A plains and 18 A- grades, among others. Thika High School posted an even higher mean score of 8.1, with six straight As and 31 A- grades, a strong performance that has further intensified competition for the limited available slots.