Grade 9 Learners to Choose Senior School Pathways in Second Term, Select 12 Preferred Schools for Placement.
Grade 9 learners will make their senior school selections during the second term after the Ministry of Education (MoE) completes the admission guidelines and school classifications. The Principal Secretary of Early Learning and Basic Education, Belio Kipsang, explained that school selection is now independent of national exam registration.
Speaking during a forum organized by the MoE in Nairobi County to review the draft senior school guidelines, Dr. Kipsang emphasized that this timeline allows learners to discuss their choices with their parents during school holidays.
It also provides schools with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the final guidelines before implementation. The nationwide discussions on the draft guidelines concluded on Thursday.
Dr. Kipsang stated that feedback from these forums would be incorporated into the final document, ensuring a comprehensive framework for implementation.
Additionally, the MoE will communicate the new school categorization, which will be based on career pathways rather than the current national, extra-county, county, or sub-county classifications.
Schools will be classified as either triple or double pathway institutions. Triple pathway schools will provide all three career options: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; and Arts and Sports.
Double pathway schools will offer STEM and one other option. However, all senior schools must include the STEM pathway.
Selection Criteria and Process
According to the draft guidelines, learners will be placed in a career pathway based on ability, interest, and merit. They will select 12 schools, distributed as follows: four for their first-choice track and subject combination, four for their second choice, and four for their third choice.
Regarding accommodation, nine of the selected schools will be boarding institutions—three within the learner’s home county and six outside their home county. The remaining three will be day schools located within their home sub-county or sub-county of residence.
Dr. Kipsang underscored the importance of separating school selection from exam registration. By the second term, school classifications will be clear, allowing learners to make informed decisions. Every institution will provide at least two pathways, ensuring that STEM is available in all schools.
Senior School Curriculum and Specialization
Senior school will offer a total of 38 subjects. Core subjects will include English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language (for learners with hearing impairments), Physical Education, and community service learning, which focuses on project-based experiential learning. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) will be integrated across all subjects to enhance digital literacy.
Eunice Gachoka, Senior Deputy Director of Educational Media at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), projected that 15% of learners would follow the Arts and Sports pathway. This track will nurture creative and athletic talents, incorporating sports science (covering sports and recreation) and performing arts (including music, dance, theatre, film, and fine arts).
She also noted that approximately 60% of students would pursue STEM. This pathway will feature specialized subjects such as building construction, electricity, metalwork, mechanics, woodwork, media technology, and marine and fisheries technology, with the latter two being available in select schools.
Structured Placement and Learner Considerations
Alice Gathii from the MoE highlighted that senior school placement would follow a structured approach to guide learners into specialized fields according to their interests and strengths. While triple pathway schools will offer all options, students will not be required to take all three; instead, they will focus on their preferred track with aligned subject combinations.
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She clarified the available school accommodation models: day schools, hybrid schools (a mix of day and boarding with gender-specific or mixed-gender setups), and special needs institutions. She reassured that learners with disabilities, including hearing, visual, physical, cognitive, or developmental challenges such as autism and cerebral palsy, would be accommodated.
On the placement process, Ms. Gathii assured parents that learner preferences, school capacity, and subject availability would be key factors in determining placements. Measures will be in place to ensure accuracy, preventing mismatches, such as boys being placed in girls-only schools.
Grade 9 Learners to Choose Senior School Pathways in Second Term, Select 12 Preferred Schools for Placement.
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