Mapping Process for Senior Secondary School Recategorization Begins
In preparation for senior school, the Ministry of Education has announced plans to establish guidelines for re-categorizing secondary schools. Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang announced this change last week, marking a shift away from ranking schools on merit.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala announced on Monday that the government will shortly produce rules for categorizing senior schools.
Inyangala underlined that students must select a pathway from STEM, creative arts and sports science, or social sciences, taking into account their strengths, interests, and professional goals.
During the official opening of the Kenya Science and Engineering Fair’s 60th edition at Moi Girls School in Nairobi, Inyangala, representing Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, expressed the government’s commitment to building 15,000 classrooms for Grade 9 next year to address gaps in curriculum rollout.
Secondary school re-categorization is aligned with the introduction of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) and will result in a new three-tier system. This restructuring prepares for the anticipated enrollment of the CBC’s pioneer class, currently in Grade 8, into senior secondary school in 2026.
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The Education Ministry has started mapping schools, with a completion date of next year, just 18 months away from the transition. Dr. Kipsang announced the replacement of existing classifications with three new ones: STEM Centers, Humanities and Arts Schools, and Creative Arts and Sports Schools.
While schools are anticipated to provide a mix of the three streams, the exact specifics of the reforms are yet to be revealed as education stakeholders discuss the transition to senior school at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
“We won’t allow this time around…to go through sleepless nights like what happened in JS (Junior Secondary),” Kipsang was quoted as saying. According to KICD Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong’ondo, preparation of senior school coursework would begin in December, allowing plenty of time for adjustments before implementation.
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The redesign will also have an impact on tests at the conclusion of Grade 9, which will determine a student’s journey through the three new categories. These examinations, combined with classroom evaluations, will direct pupils to their appropriate senior school group.
“As we reflect on Grade 9 and the type of assessment we will have, let’s keep in mind that the assessment is not for placement but for pathways,” Kipsang said in a statement. However, he underlined that the exam will replace the former merit-based entrance system that funneled kids into national schools.
Mapping Process for Senior Secondary School Recategorization Begins
