Education Ministry to blame for Grade 10 Placement Confusion- Church, Union Say

By Editorial Team

February 21, 2026

Grade 10 Placement Portal's Home Page.

Education Ministry to blame for Grade 10 Placement Confusion- Church, Union Say

The Ministry of Education has come under fire over the Grade 10 Placement Confusion.

‎The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and church leaders have criticised the government over what they describe as widespread confusion in the placement of learners transitioning from Grade 9 to Grade 10 under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

‎KNUT National Chairman Patrick Karinga said the placement exercise following the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) has caused anxiety among parents and learners across the country.

‎“There are serious challenges in the placement of Grade 9 learners joining Grade 10. Many parents are uncomfortable because the placements do not reflect the pathways the learners selected,” Karinga said.

‎He reported that parents seeking redress have been referred to sub-county education offices, but most complaints remain unresolved.

‎“Parents are being sent from one office to another. Some learners have been placed very far from their homes, others in schools that do not support their chosen pathways, and in some cases, girls have been placed in boys’ schools and vice versa,” he added.

‎Karinga appealed to the Ministry of Education and Principal Secretary Ambassador Julius Bitok to urgently intervene and resolve the matter before the Christmas holiday.

‎The Church also joined the debate, with Archbishop Maina wa Gaithuru of Assemblies of Christian Churches International saying the current placement process undermines the core principles of Competency-Based Education.

‎‎“CBE was meant to restore dignity to our youth by allowing them to pursue pathways aligned to their abilities. Placing learners in schools that do not support those pathways defeats the purpose of the system,” Archbishop Gaithuru said.

‎He further raised concerns over preparedness, citing the lack of adequate learning materials and clear curriculum guidelines.

‎“Parents are struggling, teachers are confused, and there is still no clear curriculum or sufficient books. Education is a constitutional right and should not be treated casually,” he said.

‎Both KNUT and the Church called on the government to ensure fairness and transparency in the placement process, insisting that quality education should not be a preserve of a few elite schools.

This comes even as the Ministry of Education tries to transfer ‘dissatisfied’ learners to schools of choice. Thousands of these learners have already appli

ed for placement review.

How to Check Placement Results.

Parents and students can access placement details through two primary channels:

SMS Service: Send the learner’s KNEC Assessment Number to the code 22263. Each SMS costs KSh 30.
Online Portal: Visit the official Ministry of Education Placement Portal. You will typically need the student’s Assessment Number and their Junior School’s KNEC code to view results.

Revision and Transfer Window.

If a student is dissatisfied with their assigned school or career pathway (STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts & Sports), a revision window is currently active:

Revision Period: The window opened on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, and remains active for seven days.
Deadlines: All transfer requests must be finalized by December 29, 2025, at the latest.
Process: Revisions must be requested through the student’s Junior School principal, who will submit the request via the digital portal. Revisions are subject to available space and merit.

Reporting Dates and Requirements for Grade 10 Learners

Reporting Date: All Grade 10 students are scheduled to report to their new senior schools on January 12, 2026.
Admission: Joining instructions must be downloaded from the Placement Portal. Principals are not permitted to manually admit students until they physically report and are entered into the NEMIS/ KEMIS system.