Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has reassured parents that learners currently in Grade Nine will transition smoothly to senior secondary school next year.
While addressing the official opening of the 6th Biennial Education Evidence for Action (EE4A) conference at Embu University, Ogamba explained that the ministry is already fixing infrastructure gaps to make the transition seamless.
“Unlike Grade Nine, which was domiciled in primary schools that lacked adequate classrooms, the transition to senior secondary will be easier since learners will be accommodated for three years, with provisions for additional classes where needed,” Ogamba said.
He revealed that the government has already disbursed school capitation funds to ensure smooth operations and is working with universities and teacher training colleges to align their programs with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Ogamba further noted that 11 education-related Bills are before the Cabinet, seeking amendments that will streamline the education system. He stressed that continuous teacher training remains key in strengthening CBC delivery.
“As CBC enters its ninth year, teachers require retooling to meet its demands. Data on teacher needs must also be accurate, since every year the country will require an additional 35,000 teachers,” he stated.
The CS admitted that unreliable education data had posed challenges in the past and underlined the need for accurate information to guide planning. He stressed that clean data is especially critical in training and deploying teachers to prevent mismatches in the education system.
Ogamba also revealed that universities are currently reviewing tuition fees, while student financing remains a top priority. He pointed out that the government has allocated Ksh.9.4 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and Ksh.17 billion to support the new higher education funding model.
On assessments, the CS assured parents and learners that exams will be administered effectively to reinforce continuous learning and evaluation under the CBC framework.
