Anxious leaners await delayed Grade 10 placement results
Education
By
Lewis Nyaundi
| Dec 20, 2025
Anxiety is mounting among parents and learners across the country following delays by the Ministry of Education in releasing senior school placement results.
More than 1.13 million learners who sat the 2024 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) were expected to know the senior schools they would join under the new Competency-Based Education (CBE) system on December 19.
On Friday,Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba reaffirmed that students would begin receiving their placement results during the graduation ceremony at Kenyatta University.
However, by evening, the results were yet to be released, and the lack of clear timelines has continued to fuel anxiety.
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Parents say the uncertainty has triggered panic, with learners unsure where they will report next year and schools unable to plan for admissions.
“I wake up every day expecting a message, but nothing comes,” said a parent in Nairobi. “We don’t know the school, the fees or even the location.”
Parents have also complained about the high costs incurred while trying to confirm the placement results.
“We are charged Sh30 for each message, and I have so far sent nine such texts trying to get the results. Why has the ministry not communicated when to expect them, despite earlier indicating they would be out by Friday?” another parent told The Saturday Standard yesterday.
National Parents Association (NPA) Chairman Silas Obuhatsa said the delay has disrupted parents’ preparations for school reporting.
“Parents have to plan for boarding fees, uniforms and travel, especially if learners are placed far from home,” Obuhatsa said.
Under the new system, learners are first placed into one of three pathways—STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports—which then determines the senior school they join.
However, parents expressed further confusion, noting that the system is still new and complex.
“We are being told about pathways, formulas and portals, but no one is telling us where our children are going,” said another parent.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said on Thursday that learners will have a seven-day window, from 23 to 30 December, to revise their choices after placement is released. The changes will be made through junior school heads using an online portal.
Some parents fear the delay could limit their options. Concerns are also growing that learners may be placed in schools they did not choose.
More than 5,000 senior secondary schools were reportedly shunned during selection earlier this year, raising fears that the ministry may force placements to fill gaps.
National schools, now classified as C1 schools, remain the most sought-after due to better facilities, more teachers and stronger boarding services.
This has intensified competition, even as the ministry insists there is no ranking.
Many families say the silence from the ministry is their biggest concern.
“We need information. Our children’s future depends on it, and the government should be more responsive,” said Esther Njeri, a parent whose son achieved Exceeding Expectation in all subjects in the 2025 KJSEA.
However, the Education CS, while releasing the KJSEA results, assured parents that there is enough capacity to admit all learners.
“The total capacity of the 9,540 senior schools is 2.2 million learners. About 996,000 learners will be exiting secondary school this year, leaving enough space,” Ogamba said.
Obuhatsa warned that lack of transparency could erode trust in the new system.