State has come under searing criticism for inefficiencies and negligence that have culminated in more than 700,000 Grade Nine learners failing to join Grade 10 by last weekend’s deadline.

It is now feared the students may drop out of school – compromising their chances of making the cut for the job market – as the government has no contingency plants to avert the snowballing crisis.

Elimu Bora Policy and Strategy Advisor Boaz Waruku says many students have not reported because of poor preparations by the state, which should have released information earlier to give parents and guardian – and even schools – enough time to prepare.

There are also far too many passive fees, frequent transfers and poor placement of teachers and students that adds to the high cost of living and parent frustrations.

“We also thought categorisation of schools into national, provincial and district schools had ended with the Prof Munavu report. This creates pressure for kids to join the top-ranked schools (Category 1 and Category 2),” he said.

Released in August 2023, the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER) proposed the scrapping of the four-tier clustering of public secondary schools in favour a career-oriented categorisation that puts schools into three categories. The Prof Raphael Munavu-led team recommended three broad clusters namely; STEM, Social Science and Arts, and Sports Science.

“Ministry of Education to discontinue categorisation of public secondary schools from the current nomenclature (national, extra-county, county and sub-county) to career pathways at senior school,” PWPER proposed.

The ministry of education has re-classified the schools into four categories – C1, C2, C3 and C4.

Day-schools now re-classified as C4 face a dark future due to lack of infrastructure. In many schools, not a single learner had reported by last weekend. Only 61 per cent of learners had reported by last Sunday

According to Vincent Gaitho, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University Council, Mount Kenya University (MKU), the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum is not an accident.

“Students being forced to attend local day schools instead of dream national schools where they were invited to. We should have been better prepared. Kenya is 63 years old,” he said.

“It scares me (when I think) of what will happen in 2029 when Cohort 1 of CBE enters university. We must invest and be prepared to face the challenge head on. The cabinet secretary for education should be able to steer the process.  The entire ecosystem must work; the education ministry, politicians and NG-CDF,” he said. 

Dr Gaitho regretted that everything is now being left to the president. “Are the cabinet secretaries working?  What happened to 100 per cent transition?  Why is this impossible with CBE?” he asked. 

Gaitho said while all students take same exam, some get lower marks due to lack of teachers, laboratories and poor facilities. “Some have to imagine how a computer or a swimming pool looks like,” he noted. 

Although the number of students who scored C + (the minimum university qualification) and above is going up, there is a need to review the TVET curriculum. “Private sector schools in basic education are also not investing in private senior schools,” he said.

They were speaking as part of a panel of experts hosted by a local TV station to discuss the crisis in the current intake of students into senior secondary schools. Former nominated MP and Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion said the problem did not start today.

“We are not tracing the root cause of the problem. It started in 2016 when the change of curriculum was introduced without proper planning,” he explained.

Sossion said in 2022, KNUT did a report on the collapse of basic education. “Teachers were not prepared for the CBC curriculum. The government admitted its mistakes and said curricula review was an ongoing process. The state has also taken a deliberate step to reform the Teachers Service Commission and instituted extensive curriculum changes,” he pointed out.

He praised the placement of junior schools in primary schools since senior schools could have been overwhelmed. On the current Grade 10 reporting crisis, Sossion said school fees are putting pressure on parents and on demand for bursaries. “Parents are also choosy on the schools available. There is need to mop up the pupils at home,” he noted.

Former MP for Vihiga constituency Yusuf Chanzu said government institutions are not working resulting in 700,000 learners being stranded at home.

“Presidential commission reports in the education sector are not implemented. The president keeps boasting about how many teachers he has employed. Where is the TSC Teachers Service?” 

He decried lack of continuous investment in the education sector. “Commissions, parliament and other institutions are not working. It starts with corruption in general elections process, which results in poor leadership” he noted.

The panellists said the children and parents have been let down by the government at the KJSEA (Kenya Junior School Education Assessment) level. Problems of teachers and infrastructure in junior schools still glaring, they said.

“About 74 per cent in senior schools are day scholars. Transition to day schools must be going up towards 80 per cent. This can only happen if we invest in quality laboratories, classrooms and other facilities. Transition to senior schools is not a choice. The road to Singapore is via a skilled human resource,” noted Sossion.

 Chanzu expressed regretted that a huge part of the national budget in Kenya is going to education without proper accountability.

“The cabinet secretary for education not visiting schools like the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is doing in security. He has meeting chiefs, sub-chiefs, police in regions to motivate them while at the same time understanding challenges from the ground level (mashinani),” he said.

The former MP said the entire government information gathering system is not working, from ministerial advisory committees to the PS office to budget to Treasury.

“It is high time we looked into the information flow. Are these leakages? The NG-CDF has a lot of money about Ksh170 million for some constituents. Parliament is not supervising the use of NG-CDF. MPs even say Ksh100 million is peanuts,” he said.

Waruku criticised the delivery of capitation to schools, which is charactised by late disbursement of inadequate funds. He said since the mechanism of reporting in the education ministry is not working, the CEOs must take decisive actions. 

“Even the information about 700,000 learners still at home came from the Ministry of Interior,” he regretted. 

Sossion called for quality assurance on the buildings being constructed using NG-CDF funds in schools. 

“There is no supervision on the use of CDF funds. Some schools have over 100,000 applications yet nobody wants to join others. The CDF can remain with MPs, but we need accountability. Maybe a national conference on NG-CDF accountability now could a starting point,” he said.

• A Tell Media report / By James Wakahiu