BACK TO SCHOOL 2025; A defining moment for the Competency Based Curriculum

Schools are scheduled to reopen for the 2025 academic year on Monday, January 6, 2024. Consequently, parents are anticipated to visit bookshops and school uniform stores to purchase necessary items for their children’s return to school.

As schools resume, the inaugural cohort of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will advance to Grade 9. Schools are working diligently to establish additional classes for these students, and Kenyans are likely to monitor whether the demand will be satisfied by most institutions prior to reopening.

The reopening in January marks a crucial juncture for the CBC as the pioneer class prepares to enter Grade 9, the final stage of junior secondary school. This transition is significant, bringing students closer to senior secondary school in January 2026.

As part of this transition, learners will undergo an assessment exam at the end of Grade 9 to determine their placement in senior secondary schools. This assessment is part of a broader process that, for the first time in decades, will not involve Form One admissions. The current Form Two class will be the last to take the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and subsequently the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2027.

Unlike the traditional KCPE examination, the Grade 9 assessment will not be the sole criterion for placement in senior secondary schools. The process will also include results from Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) taken in Grades Seven and Eight. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to select their pathways for senior secondary education, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Arts and Creatives, or Sports. This change represents a departure from the one-size-fits-all model of the past, allowing learners to specialize according to their strengths and interests.

Meanwhile, schools have been facing challenges due to limited resources for expanding classrooms and academic facilities to accommodate these changes, while the government is also working to hire the long-disputed JSC teachers to facilitate a smooth transition for learners.

by Hussein Waiyaki