All Senior Secondary Schools to Be Mixed Under New CBC Changes
In a significant overhaul of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), all senior secondary schools in Kenya will now be mixed-gender institutions and predominantly day schools.
This landmark shift will take effect in January 2026, when the pioneer CBC cohort, currently in Grade 9, transitions to senior secondary school.
Before advancing, these learners will sit for their final assessment in junior secondary school in November 2025.
This assessment, known as the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), will play a major role in their placement into senior secondary schools. Placement will be determined by two key factors: KJSEA scores (60%) and School-Based Assessment (SBA) scores (40%).
Breakdown of the Assessment System
The SBA consists of practicals, projects, and written assessments conducted in Grade 7 and Grade 8.
Practicals and projects, facilitated by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), take place in Term 2 each year.
Written assessments are administered in Term 3 annually.
Each year’s SBA contributes 20% to the final score, totaling 40% by the end of junior secondary. The remaining 60% comes from the KJSEA examination, which will play a key role in determining a student’s academic and career path in senior secondary school.
New School Categorization and Career Pathways
Unlike the current system that classifies schools into national, extra-county, county, and sub-county levels, the CBC model eliminates this categorization.
Instead, students will be placed in senior secondary schools based on three specialized career pathways:
Arts and Sports Science
Tracks: Performing Arts, Sports, and Visual Arts
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Tracks: Pure Science, Applied Science, Technology & Engineering, and Career Technology Studies (CTS)
Social Science
Tracks: Humanities, Business Studies, and Language & Literature
A student’s placement will depend on their KJSEA results, SBA performance, and personal interests, which will be determined through KNEC questionnaires. These questionnaires will assess a student’s strengths, preferences, and talents, ensuring they are placed in schools that best support their abilities.
Infrastructure and Placement Considerations
While national schools with superior infrastructure and resources may accommodate students from all three pathways, some extra-county and county schools may only offer two pathways due to limited resources.
Additionally, under the CBC model, the distance factor will be a key consideration in school placements. The government aims to ensure that most students enroll in schools close to their homes, minimizing the need for long-distance travel.
Other factors influencing school placement include:
- Availability of slots – Schools with more facilities will enroll more students.
- Inclusivity and regional balance – Students will be distributed across schools to promote fairness.
- Gender integration – The new system eliminates the concept of single-gender secondary schools, meaning all senior secondary institutions will be mixed.
This approach is designed to enhance access to education, improve learning outcomes, and ensure students receive education tailored to their interests and career aspirations.
Upcoming Guidelines and Implementation
The Ministry of Education, led by Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos, is expected to release official guidelines for this transition in March 2025.
These guidelines will provide further details on how the placement process will be executed to ensure a smooth and effective transition for the first CBC cohort.
As Kenya continues to refine its education system, these reforms mark a pivotal shift towards a more student-centered learning approach, where individual talents and aspirations take precedence over traditional ranking systems.