CRA formula to determine Grade 9 school placements

By Newsflash Reporter

Grade 9 learners will begin placement in senior schools starting Monday, December 15, under a new plan using the County Revenue Allocation (CRA) formula.

The ministry says this approach, already used to distribute funds to Kenya’s 47 counties, will ensure fairness, equity, and transparency. The plan, replacing the old 8-4-4 system, considers population, learner performance, poverty levels, distance to schools, and school size and infrastructure. Larger counties such as Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kakamega are likely to receive more slots.

Previously, under the 8-4-4 system, placement relied heavily on Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) scores. National and top schools had a significant advantage, while students from marginalized counties faced challenges, as placements favored high scores or proximity to top institutions.

The new formula assigns 42% of placement to county population, giving larger counties a proportionate number of slots; 22% to learner performance, reflecting merit; 14% to poverty levels, supporting disadvantaged learners; 13% to distance, reducing travel barriers; and 9% to school size and infrastructure, matching students to schools with adequate facilities.

“To ensure fair placement nationwide, we have adopted the CRA formula to distribute learners across the four school categories fairly,” Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok said during the release of the Grade 9 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) results on Thursday.

Key factors in placement

The CRA-based plan emphasizes multiple factors to ensure fairness. County population determines the largest share of placement slots, while learner performance ensures merit-based allocation. Poverty levels support students from disadvantaged areas, and distance to schools reduces travel challenges. School size and infrastructure also play a role, ensuring students are matched to schools with adequate facilities.

The ministry will use extra classes, since senior schools will now have three classes instead of four, to ensure a 100% transition rate. “The total capacity of the 9,540 senior schools is 2.2 million learners.

A total of 929,262 learners will be completing secondary school after KCSE this year. Extra classrooms will provide space and prevent overcrowding,” Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said.

Ogamba defended the results and pace of change on Saturday: “All students will be in class by January 12, 2026. Parents’ and teachers’ concerns are expected. Adjustments will take time, but we will manage.” He emphasized that under the new grading model, there are no failures; the assessment measures individual progress rather than ranking students against peers. “The focus is on each learner’s growth. Competition is between the child and themselves, not classmates.”

Learners to follow their strengths

The new framework allows learners to follow pathways based on their strengths: arts and social sciences, science and technology, or sports. For the first time, placement will use the Competency-Based Education (CBE) model. Top performers will have priority for boarding and national schools, while the highest scorers in each track can select their preferred school.

Schools are grouped into clusters. Cluster 1 schools, corresponding to former national schools, will offer all three pathways, while day schools will offer two. Students have already indicated preferred schools in a 12-choice selection, including nine boarding schools—three in their home county and six outside—and three-day schools in their sub-county. Schools not participating in open placements will allow pre-selection.

All schools, public and private, will admit Grade 10 learners through the Nemis portal. Principals cannot enter learners before they report physically, and the ministry will monitor reporting daily. Prof Bitok said placements will be announced by the end of next week, followed by a five-day revision window.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Director Charles Ong’ondo urged parents, guardians, and teachers to engage learners in discussions about career pathways once results are released: “Now that they have results, parents should guide learners to make informed choices. Stakeholders are discussing ways to allow adjustment time.”

Despite assurances that there will be no ranking, Cluster 1 schools are expected to remain highly competitive. “I’m unsure about this new system. Before, we just looked at marks. National schools are very popular, and competition will be tough even without ranking. With the CRA formula and factors like merit and equity, I don’t know if my child will get a suitable school,” said Josephat Mwangi, a parent from Kiambu.