Thousands of Schools Shunned by Grade 9 Students, Ministry Promises Review

Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi, Basic Education Principal Secretary Amb. Prof. Julius Bitok revealed that not a single student selected these schools for enrollment. He acknowledged the existence of a systemic gap in the placement framework, pledging that the Ministry of Education would urgently review the process to ensure all institutions are equitably utilized. "As the selection was going on, we discovered a gap and we need to discuss," said PS Bitok, indicating that the review would be undertaken ahead of the January 2026 school intake.

In addition to the 5,000 completely overlooked schools, approximately 3,000 other institutions were chosen by fewer than 150 students each. These revelations have prompted calls for a more balanced and informed approach to student placement under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) framework.

On the matter of school funding, Prof. Bitok assured stakeholders that no school would be shut down due to delays in capitation disbursement. “There is no school which will be closed because of capitation,” he said. “We are arranging with the National Treasury to clear the term two allocations.”

To streamline school data and address persistent challenges in the education sector, the ministry is banking on the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS). According to PS Bitok, the digital platform will serve as a centralized source for key education metrics such as student enrollment figures, the number of operational schools, and fund disbursement status.

“KEMIS will be our one-stop shop, where issues of funds disbursement, accurate number of learners and number of learning institutions will be accessed in just a click of a button,” he stated.

The ministry now faces the urgent task of revising placement guidelines and addressing disparities in school preferences to ensure no institution is left behind in the education reform journey.