Final rush as Senior Schools prepare to receive over 1.1M Grade 10 learners

As Kenya inches closer to a historic milestone in education, schools across the country are finalising preparations to receive the pioneer Grade 10 learners under the competency-based education system from Monday.

A spot check by the Citizen team established that some schools were putting the final touches in readiness for the learners.

In Nyamira County, the countdown to reporting day has triggered a last-minute rush in some learning institutions.

Contractors race against time, putting finishing touches to classrooms as the school awaits its first Grade 10 learners.

Kebirigo Boys School is expecting close to 700 Grade 10 learners across the three pathways. Despite the tight timelines, the school management says it is optimistic that the remaining work will be completed by next week.

“In the making of the new system, it is more practical-oriented, so there are things we had to put in place — facelifts in the dorms, more science labs and computer labs,” said Kebirigo Boys Deputy Principal James Ogari.

“We are privileged to have a number of our teachers as TOTs and they spare time to take others through. With a staff of around 175 teachers, almost all of them have been exposed to CBE.”

In neighbouring Kisii County, at Kereri Girls High School and Kisii High School, classrooms are all set for the new learners.

At Cardinal Otunga High School, a school widely recognised as a sporting hub, all is set for the arts and sports pathway.

“We are going to partner closely with our national polytechnics, where we have adequate personnel, so that they can assist our learners who want to venture into technical areas,” said Cardinal Otunga Principal Ezekiel Okeyo.

Along the Kisii–Transmara border, the management of Riokindo Boys High School was in a last-minute meeting to plan for the first CBE intake.

“We are hoping that the ministry will distribute books on time,” Riokindo Boys Chief Principal Gerald Orina noted.

Kwale Girls in the coastal region and Sosit Girls in Kericho County have also expressed their readiness three days to reporting day.

Speaking to Citizen TV on the phone, Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba said the government has already trained teachers for the new learning areas, including marine, fisheries and aviation.

“Preparations have been going on. For instance, we know that we are going to graduate these learners to universities in the next three years, so we have started working with universities in advance. And that is what was happening as we were dealing with JSS; the senior school teachers and programmes were being done by TSC,” Ogamba stated.