How transition to Senior School exposes deep gaps

As the pioneer class of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) completes the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) and prepares to transition to Senior School, concern is growing over the challenges that lie ahead.

For three years, the first cohort has struggled through an education system still unprepared for the scale and demands of the reformed curriculum.

Now, as placement into specialised pathways begins, stakeholders warn that unless urgent measures are taken, learners may face even greater obstacles at Senior School  level.

Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) national chairman Willy Kuria says the country is racing against time.

“This is a historic moment, but the truth is that our schools have not been adequately prepared. The infrastructure, staffing, and funding gaps we saw at JSS are still present—and in senior school, the consequences will be even more serious,” he said.

He said when Junior Secondary School (JSS) opened its doors in 2023, the roll-out was marred by shortages of classrooms, laboratories, textbooks, specialised teachers, and delayed capitation.

Many JSS learners studied in converted primary classrooms, often without science labs, workshops, or ICT infrastructure.

Subjects such as pre-technical studies, ICT, mathematics, integrated science, performing and visual arts, and foreign languages suffered acute teacher shortages.

“The breadth of learning areas under CBE demands a wide pool of specialised teachers but most schools had two or three teachers doing the work of eight,” Kuria noted.

Sports and physical education, recognised as a career pathway under CBE, remained undeveloped in many schools due to lack of coaches and trainers.

Similarly, shortages in sign language and foreign language teachers weakened the inclusivity the curriculum aims to promote.

Delayed and insufficient capitation further strained institutions, with some schools unable to purchase materials for practical learning.

“We cannot say we delivered JSS fully as intended. There were too many gaps,” he said.

Many heads fear that without timely disbursement, schools will not be able to set up new facilities or recruit additional teachers.

“Transitioning learners without equipping schools is setting them up for frustration. Capitation must be prompt and increased if we are to match the scale of CBE,” he added.

Unlike JSS which focused on giving learners foundational competencies, Senior School demands deeper specialisation, advanced facilities, and highly trained instructors.

The three pathways-STEM, Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports Sciences, require distinct and well-equipped learning environments.

Under the STEM pathway, schools must provide fully equipped laboratories for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, ICT labs capable of supporting coding, robotics, and digital literacy, workshops for engineering technology, including electrical, mechanical, automotive, and aviation studies, land and water systems for applied sciences such as agriculture

Kuria noted that shortages of teachers in physics, chemistry, advanced mathematics and engineering technology remain chronic.

“Emerging fields such as mechatronics, aviation studies, and applied sciences lack instructors with both academic and industrial expertise,” Kuria said.

For the Social Sciences pathway, schools require extensive libraries and digital resource centres, theatres for debates, drama and presentations, language rooms for translation, listening and speaking, weather stations and survey rooms for geography and environmental studies.

Others are media studies, journalism, and communication are particularly affected by lack of teachers trained in digital publishing, video editing, or modern communication tools.

The Arts and Sports Sciences pathway demands art studios and display spaces, open training fields, Music, dance and drama spaces and specialist coaches and physiologists.

Yet, performing arts, fine arts, digital arts, and sports science teachers remain in short supply nationwide.

“Schools need to have several pitches for volleyball, football, skating, badminton, hockey, basketball, rugby and so on. Many of our sub-county school still share football pitch with primary schools,” he said.

The most visible gap in Senior schools must now evolve into Double Pathway or Triple Pathway institutions, depending on available facilities.

But many schools lack workshops for technical and engineering studies, ICT infrastructure and devices, studios for arts, music, film and digital production, Sports facilities for specialised training and Counselling and guidance departments.

“The vision of pathways cannot be delivered in empty rooms. We need labs, studios, workshops and digital spaces. Right now, only a small fraction of schools meets these requirements,” Kuria warned.

A principal in a national school in Machakos County said although there are enough classrooms and dormitories in schools, other facilities to guide in the curriculum implementation is a hurdle.

“We have been given 48 learning areas with 60 percent going to STEM. As much as we may have some of the facilities, there are schools upgraded to C1 cluster which still struggle,” he said.

He further said the curriculum material need to be distributed to schools in good time so as to enable teachers prepare adequately.

The Ministry of Education has announced several steps to cushion schools recruitment of additional teachers, prioritizing STEM, arts, ICT, foreign languages and technical subjects.

It is also upgrading school infrastructure through constituency development funds, county partnerships and donor agencies as well as strengthening digital learning under the ICT Integration Programme, including provision of computers and internet connectivity.

The government is also establishing model Senior Schools in every sub-county offering full triple-pathway option and fast-tracking capitation disbursement to ensure schools plan adequately.

According to the Ministry, more than 3,000 laboratories, workshops and arts studios will be built or upgraded over the next three years.

Placement into Senior Schools will use the KJSEA score (60%), SBA (20%) and KPSEA (20%), with equity considerations such as county quotas, gender balance, and special needs. Parents may choose preferred schools, but teachers must guide learners based on ability, aptitude and pathway suitability.

“We must be honest with learners. Pathway choice is not about prestige it is about ability, passion and long-term success,” Kuria emphasised.

Senior School principals must manage a dual system hosting both 8-4-4 and CBE learners temporarily while allocating facilities, managing teacher deployment, revising joining instructions, and ensuring smooth curriculum delivery.