Kenya is preparing for the first cohort of learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to transition into Senior Secondary School, a major educational reform. This system aims to shift from rote memorization to practical skills and critical thinking, reorganizing basic education and introducing new pathways for learners.

• The CBC reorganizes basic education into a 2-6-3-3-3 structure, moving away from the old 8-4-4 system.
• Learners entering Senior Secondary School (Grade 10) will choose one of three pathways: the STEM pathway, the Arts and Sports Science pathway, or the Social Sciences pathway.
• The CBC faces significant implementation challenges, including inadequate infrastructure in many schools and uneven teacher preparedness, raising concerns about equitable access to pathway choices.

Former KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion warns that the rollout of Grade 10 CBC faces a crisis due to unprepared teachers, despite ministry figures showing nearly 100,000 new teachers hired and multi-billion-shilling investments.

• Sossion highlights that many teachers are ill-equipped for high-order, competency-based instruction, citing Finland's requirement for teachers handling such instruction to hold at least a Master's degree.
• The professional gap is particularly visible in Junior Secondary Schools, where generalist teachers are often deployed to teach subjects outside their expertise, despite the curriculum demanding specialists in areas like STEM and Technical subjects.
• He criticizes universities for their research void in the CBC process, advocating for urgent reforms including intensive, specialized teacher training and strong partnerships with Colleges of Education for quality assurance.

Parents are raising alarms over alleged demands for up to Ksh150,000 to secure Grade 10 placements in Kenyan schools, despite the Ministry of Education relaxing placement rules.

• Some schools are reportedly asking for between Ksh100,000 and Ksh150,000 for admissions.
• Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced a second phase of the placement review process from January 6 to January 9.
• Learners are expected to report to their assigned senior schools from January 12 under the Competency-Based Education curriculum.

Kilifi County has announced a full scholarship program for students transitioning to Grade 10 after excelling in the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) examination.

• The scholarship targets bright but needy students, requiring a minimum of 61 points in the KJSEA examinations.
• Governor Gideon Mung'aro announced the initiative under the Ward Scholarship Fund, with applications currently open.
• The county has allocated close to Ksh57 million for the program, aiming to support hundreds of students.