Senior school teachers from Category Four (C4) institutions have begun visiting primary schools to trace Grade 10 learners after many C4 schools recorded very low reporting rates during the Grade 10 admission exercise. The low turnout follows the 2025 KJSEA placements and a surge in applications to top-tier schools, creating pressure on C4 schools and prompting urgent interventions.
Key Takeaways
- Grade 10 admission saw uneven reporting: many C4 schools received few or no students.
- About 3,000 C4 schools were not chosen during the placement process, raising closure concerns.
- Government extended admissions to improve 100% transition and is considering elevating ~1,000 day schools to national status.
- Parents and school leaders face mismatches between placements and school type (day vs boarding), affecting reporting.
Grade 10 admission: current situation
The Ministry of Education extended the Grade 10 admission window to allow more learners to report. A total of 1,130,459 candidates sat the inaugural Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) in 2025. Those classified as Approaching Expectation and above qualified for transition to Grade 10, but many pupils opted for Category One (C1), Category Two (C2) and Category Three (C3) schools instead of their local C4 schools.
Why Category Four (C4) schools are struggling
Several factors explain the low turnout at C4 schools:
- High demand for a small number of national schools (105 national schools with about 500 places each) pushed many placements toward top-tier institutions.
- Placement change requests concentrated on a few national schools; 68,000 change requests were rejected during the first review phase.
- Some placements placed learners far from home or in schools without boarding, causing parents to decline or delay reporting.
- Many C4 schools were never chosen during the selection process, leaving them with zero intake and at risk of closure.
Examples and local impact
In Machakos County, some schools reported only three or four Grade 10 students days into the admission process. For example:
- Kyeni Baptist (capacity 90) reported 3 learners.
- Kasinga Secondary (capacity 150) admitted 4 learners despite the ministry placing 96 learners on its portal.
Headteachers point to the new electronic placement method and long-distance placements as main reasons learners did not report. Parents often prefer nearby boarding options or higher-ranked schools, leaving local C4 schools under-enrolled.
Government response and proposed changes
The Education Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary have acknowledged the problem. Proposed measures include:
- Extending admissions deadlines to boost reporting and allow problem resolution.
- Assessing principals’ feedback on reporting rates before final decisions.
- Elevating roughly 1,000 day senior secondary schools to national status to increase access to higher-category institutions and target about 1,450 Category One (C1) schools—one national school per ward where possible.
Implications for schools, teachers and communities
Low admissions threaten C4 school viability. Consequences may include reduced funding, staff reassignments, and possible closures if enrolment remains low through the 8-4-4 final cohort in 2027. Teachers are actively visiting primary schools to encourage reporting and to clarify placement and transport concerns.
Practical steps for parents and school leaders
- Verify placement details on the official portal and check whether the assigned school is day or boarding before making arrangements.
- Communicate with assigned schools promptly to confirm available support or deferred reporting options.
- Schools should share clear information on fees, transport, and school facilities to reassure parents.
- Where possible, pursue placement reviews early if the assignment is impractical for the learner’s location or needs.
Resources and further reading
Teachers and parents preparing learners for senior school can use curriculum and exam resources to support transition and readiness. Useful resources include:
- Grade 10 curriculum designs — guidance on senior school subjects and planning.
- Senior school curriculum designs — overview of senior secondary learning outcomes and structure.
- CBC lesson plans and teaching notes — practical classroom resources to prepare learners for transition.
- Sample CBC exams and KCSE revision exams for exam practice and revision.
What to watch next: monitor official placement portals and school communications during the extended admission period. Administrators, parents and county education officials should coordinate to ensure learners can report to suitable schools and to reduce the risk of losing local learning centres.
