Alarm as half of Grade 9 institutions shunned by learners

By Newsflash Writer

A worrying trend has emerged, revealing that more than 50 percent of senior schools intended for Grade 9 learners have not attracted student interest during the recent selection process.

On Thursday, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang told the National Assembly Committee on Education that out of 9,500 designated institutions, only about 4,250 were selected by students.

Dr. Kipsang expressed concern that learners showed no interest in more than half of the available schools, suggesting deeper systemic issues. “Out of the total number of institutions eligible to host junior secondary learners, they did not show any interest in about 5,300,” he said.

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The Ministry of Education is now investigating the implications of this development and has activated a special response team led by Prof. Fatuma Chege to delve into the root causes of the problem.

The schools are part of the national transition plan under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), with institutions categorized into four clusters. Most of the shunned schools fall within Cluster Three and Four—mostly day schools.

Learner preferences raise equity concerns

Kenyatta Secondary School Headteacher Willy Kuria described the development as unsurprising, attributing the trend to past patterns in school selection. “Learners typically aim for institutions with strong reputations,” he explained.

The Ministry is exploring ways to motivate learners to choose schools in lower clusters. This includes improving infrastructure, equipping laboratories, and enhancing staffing and learning environments.

According to the CBC plan, schools have been grouped based on capacity and performance, with Clusters One and Two housing top-tier institutions, while Clusters Three and Four are mostly day schools located across different sub-counties.

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While nearly 10,000 public schools have been prepared to host Junior Secondary learners, many students overwhelmingly picked only about 4,000, signaling a mismatch between planning and learner preferences.

Despite the government’s efforts to balance the distribution of learners through selection guidelines, learners and parents appear to favor schools they perceive as better resourced and more prestigious.

This trend could undermine the objective of equitable access to quality education across the country. The Ministry plans to conduct further sensitization and policy adjustments to correct the imbalance before the next academic year.

Janet Muthoni, an education expert, emphasized the need for urgent infrastructure upgrades in lower-preference schools to boost learner confidence and encourage wider distribution.