Revealed: National schools retain power in CBC proposals

Competition for vacancies in top national and extra-county schools is likely to continue upon implementation of the education reforms recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER). Current secondary schools will form the new senior secondary school (SSS): Grades 10, 11 and 12.

The first students are expected to be placed in SSS in 2026 based on their performance in junior secondary school (JSS) and interests.

Under the proposals, which are expected to be launched by President William Ruto next week, national and extra-county schools will host all the three pathways under the competency-based curriculum (CBC).

They are arts and sports science; social sciences; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). The top schools have the infrastructure and staff to offer all the pathways. County and sub-county schools with the necessary infrastructure to offer the three pathways will be allowed to offer the three.

County and sub-county schools will offer at least two of the pathways.

However, this categorisation will be scrapped for learners to choose schools based on the pathways they offer. In the two-and-a-half years before the SSS is rolled out, secondary schools will choose the pathways in which to specialise.

This will rekindle memories of pre-8- 4-4 when particular schools were known for excellence in particular subjects in Form 5 and 6 as arts- or science-oriented.

Learners and parents usually scramble for the few places in top-performing national and extra-county schools because of better infrastructure, a culture of excellence and adequate staff.

To proceed to the SSS, students will be graded based on a combination of school-based formative assessment and a national summative assessment administered by the Kenya National Examinations Council, which is to be renamed National Assessment Council to reflect the shift from exams to continuous assessment.

“Unless the PWPER recommends changes in some aspects, you’ll have part of the results before the students exit. This will sort out the issue of high-stakes examinations.

There will be vibrant provision of formative and summative assessment and we’ll have almost an equal share at the end of senior secondary,” said Prof Charles Ong’ondo, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development CEO, when he addressed the annual Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association conference in Mombasa last week. Under the Basic Education Curriculum Framework, each pathway will branch off into separate tracks that students will choose.

Under arts and sports science, the tracks will be sports (physical education, sports and recreation); performing arts (physical education, sports and recreation, music, dance, theatre and film); and visual arts (applied arts and fine arts).

The social sciences pathway will have languages and literature (English, literature in English, communication skills, indigenous languages, lugha ya Kiswahili, fasihi ya Kiswahili, Arabic, French, German, Mandarin Chinese); and humanities and business studies (Christian Religious Education, Islamic Religious Education, Hindu Religious Education, community service learning, business studies, history and citizenship, geography).

Stem pathways are pure sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, general mathematics advanced mathematics, biological sciences, physical sciences); applied sciences (applied agriculture, compute, science, health, foods and nutrition, home and hospitality management, ICT); technical engineering (metal technology, wood technology, aviation technology, electrical technology, power mechanics, textile technology and design); and career and technology studies (hairdressing and beauty therapy, building and construction, welding and fabrication, leather work, electrical installations, fashion and interior décor, animal production and crop production).