A teacher with his students at a school laboratory. Photo/Kenya News Agency
By Newsflash Writer
Learners joining senior school in January 2026 will pay uniform boarding fees across all public institutions, following new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to support the transition to senior school under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
The new structure eliminates the traditional categorisation of schools — national, extra-county, and county — and standardises boarding fees at Sh53,554 per year, as per Gazette Notice No. 1555 of March 10, 2015. Day school students will pay Sh9,374 annually, while those with special needs will pay Sh37,210.
The guidelines also slash government capitation for the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) programme from Sh22,244 to Sh12,870 per learner annually, a reduction that will see parents shoulder a larger share of tuition costs. This amount is even lower than the Sh15,042 allocated to learners in junior school.
Special needs learners will continue to receive enhanced funding of Sh32,600 per year. The ministry said the changes are aimed at promoting equity and ensuring that financial disparities do not lock learners out of education.
“For day schools, parents will continue paying Sh9,374, while the government provides capitation of Sh12,870. Boarding schools will receive the same government allocation,” the guidelines read. The ministry added that a review of the school fees policy could be undertaken in future depending on economic conditions and the results of ongoing reforms.
The announcement has shocked many parents, who were already struggling with rising education costs and inflation-driven increases in food and commodity prices.
Mapping and pathways in the new system
Under the CBE framework, all senior schools will be mapped, re-registered, and renamed according to their pathways — Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This reform aims to align learners’ studies with their talents and career interests, moving away from the rigid 8-4-4 system.
Senior school will cater to learners aged 15 to 17 years, covering Grades 10, 11, and 12, forming a bridge between junior school and tertiary education. Schools are required to have modern facilities — science labs, art studios, sports fields, workshops, and digital learning spaces — with each class accommodating no more than 45 students.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will review staffing and redeploy teachers according to the new pathways. Teachers will be retrained in competency-based, learner-centred approaches and continuous assessment methods. Each teacher will handle 27 lessons per week, with administrators assigned lighter teaching loads to prioritise leadership roles.
New timetable and safety measures
According to the guidelines, there will be eight lessons per day, each lasting 40 minutes, with 40 lessons per week. Physical Education will have three lessons weekly, ICT two, and “lesson study” one. Only one double lesson will be allowed for Arts, Sports Science, and STEM subjects.
Official school hours will run Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with co-curricular activities scheduled until 4:45 p.m. No learner in a day school should report before 7:15 a.m., while boarding schools must ensure students arrive no later than 5:00 p.m.
Boarding institutions are barred from sending unaccompanied learners home after 9:00 a.m., and schools must provide regular career guidance and counselling to help students choose suitable pathways based on their Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) results.
To ensure transparency, all schools must form audit committees to monitor financial performance and compliance. The ministry said mapping results for all senior schools will be published online to help parents and learners make informed choices.
The rollout marks the final phase of basic education reforms under the competency-based curriculum, ushering in a new era for Kenya’s secondary education — but also raising fresh financial concerns for parents.
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