Garissa: Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed has called on the Ministry of Education to make adequate preparations for the transition of learners from Grade 9 to 10 next year to avoid causing confusion to both parents and learners. Senior school, which covers Grades 10 to 12, will officially begin in January 2026, marking the transition for the pioneer Grade 9 cohort.
According to Kenya News Agency, speaking during an NG-CDF bursary kitty launch forum in Garissa town, the MP cautioned the government against making last-minute preparations, which could hurt the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Dekow emphasized the need for responsible action from the Ministry of Education, highlighting the seven-year existence of the CBC and CBE programs, and expressing concern over the perceived lack of preparation for the transition from junior to senior secondary schools.
Dekow urged the Cabinet Secretary in charge of education to ensure that the upcoming transition is free from confusion. With only six months remaining, he stressed the importance of having adequate infrastructure in all public schools to facilitate a seamless transition.
In response, Garissa Township Sub-County Director of Education Rashid Muktar assured that the government has made all necessary preparations, including curriculum development and teacher retooling. Muktar reassured parents and learners that materials for Grade 10 learning will be available from August this year.
Muktar confirmed that the ministry has put everything in place, including the curriculum, and that the materials required for senior secondary schools are ready. He noted that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has trained and retooled teachers for senior school, and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has prepared materials and textbooks for Grade 10, which will be distributed to schools starting August.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education released guidelines on how learners will be placed in senior schools, categorized into pathways, accommodation, gender, and special needs. The pathways are divided into double pathways (Science Technology Engineering, Mathematics, and Arts and Sports Science - STREAMS) and triple pathways (STEM, Arts and Sports, and Social Sciences).
The accommodation category includes day senior schools for commuting students and hybrid senior schools for both boarders and day scholars. Gender divisions consist of single-sex schools (girls-only and boys-only) and mixed-sex schools. The special needs category groups learners based on specific impairments and vocational needs, including autism, cerebral palsy, cognitive difficulties, and deaf-blindness.
In the pathway selection process, learners will choose 12 schools within their chosen pathway, with specific allocations for first, second, and third choice subject combinations.