NAIROBI, Kenya-The Ministry of Education is considering extending the Grade 10 reporting deadline after thousands of learners failed to join senior secondary schools on time, largely due to high costs and logistical challenges faced by parents across the country.
Data from the ministry shows that only about 400,000 of the 1.1 million learners placed have so far reported to schools, just hours before the official reporting deadline.
While national schools have recorded a strong turnout of about 90 per cent, reporting rates remain worryingly low in extra-county and sub-county institutions.
Speaking on Thursday during a tour of Alliance Boys High School, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the majority of learners placed in national schools had already reported.
“I am pleased to report that over 90 per cent of the students placed here, 634 out of 700, have successfully reported. This is a testament to the commitment of both learners and educators,” Bitok said.
However, the picture is starkly different in Category Two extra-county schools and Category Four sub-county schools, where more than 700,000 learners are yet to report.
Sharp divide in reporting rates
According to ministry figures, Cluster One national schools are leading with a 91 per cent reporting rate.
Extra-county schools stand at about 50 per cent, while sub-county schools are trailing at below 40 per cent, raising concerns over equity in the transition to senior secondary education under the new curriculum.
For many families, financial strain has emerged as the biggest obstacle.
Parents say that beyond official school fees, they are required to meet additional costs for uniforms, textbooks, bedding and learning equipment, pushing the total cost of reporting to between Sh20,000 and Sh50,000.
Others have cited long distances to schools, inadequate infrastructure and shortages of teachers, particularly in science and technical subjects, as reasons for delayed reporting.
Parents demand transfers
A section of parents has reportedly demanded transfers, arguing that their children were placed in schools far from home or in institutions they believe lack adequate laboratories, teachers and facilities required for their chosen pathways under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
With science, technical and vocational subjects now central to senior secondary education, concerns are growing that many sub-county and extra-county schools are not yet fully equipped to deliver the new learning pathways.
Despite the challenges, Bitok expressed confidence that the transition will eventually be successful.
“We are confident that by the end of this process, all the students will have been placed successfully. We shall have 100 per cent transition because we have enough spaces in Grade 10 senior schools to take all the learners,” he said.
He added that Category Four schools still have the largest capacity, noting that 42 per cent of learners who have reported so far are already in sub-county schools.
Popular schools oversubscribed
The ministry revealed that more than 50,000 learners applied to just 20 popular schools, leaving thousands unable to secure placement in their preferred institutions.
Parents have now been urged to accept placements offered by the system, especially in schools with available space.
“We are asking principals that if parents walk into your school, place your request in the portal, and the approval will come if the capacity is there. But without capacity, it is hard because the system will not allow placement in a full school,” Bitok said.
Addressing teacher shortages
The ministry also said it is working closely with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to address shortages of instructors in specialised and technical subjects.
“Over time, we want to build the capacity of some of our big schools to teach these technical areas, which were not there in the previous curriculum,” Bitok said.
As pressure mounts from parents and school heads, the government is now weighing an extension of the reporting deadline to allow more learners to transition smoothly into Grade 10.
