At least 24,000 Grade 10 learners had by Friday December 26 had their initial placement review requests declined midway through the ongoing process.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok told the Daily Nation that most rejections were due to merit-based placement rules and limited capacity in senior secondary schools. The learners will now have to select other options.
By Friday, which was Day Four of the seven-day review window, the Ministry of Education had processed more than 86,000 requests out of the more than 100,000 applications — approving 62,000 and declining the rest. The Education PS noted that the figures highlight the high demand for top-tier schools and the challenges learners face in securing their preferred placements.
Principal Secretary for Basic Education Prof Julius Bitok.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
The ministry on Tuesday launched the digital platform to allow parents and school administrators to request changes to placements into senior secondary schools, a move aimed at easing anxiety among learners dissatisfied with their initial school or pathway allocations.
“The requests are still coming in, and by Day Four of the review window, we have processed over 86,000 applications. Of these, 62,000 have been approved while 24,000 have been declined, mainly due to the merit-based placement system and limited capacity in senior secondary schools. We are urging parents and learners whose requests were not successful to carefully review the available options and reapply to schools with remaining spaces. This is an important opportunity to secure a placement that aligns with the learner’s performance and aspirations,” said Basic Education PS Julius Bitok.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Education revealed that a total of 177,000 requests had been received. More than 30,000 applications had been processed, with approvals and rejections being communicated to learners and parents.
The revision period is intended to address cases where candidates are uncomfortable with their assigned school or pathway, while ensuring the process remains fair, transparent and aligned with national placement guidelines.
"Being a pioneer undertaking, the government appreciates and empathises with parents, learners, and other stakeholders’ anxieties and uncertainties around the transition to Grade 10. We are dedicated to making the placement process as transparent, fair, and satisfactory as possible while taking into account learners’ preferences and the capacities and available pathways in respective schools. We encourage all involved parties to engage constructively in the placement process as we collectively refine and strengthen CBE for the benefit of our learners," said Prof Julius Bitok in a statement.
According to the ministry, the revision covers about 9,000 senior schools listed on the portal and is designed to make the transfer process faster, more transparent and accessible from any location with internet access.
Under the new system, each learner seeking a review is allowed to select a maximum of four alternative schools. This means a candidate placed in one school but aspiring to join another can list up to three additional options to improve their chances of securing a preferred placement.
For instance, a learner initially placed at Kakamega High School but wishing to transfer to Alliance High School may choose Alliance as their first option and select three other schools as alternatives.
"I want to urge everyone to be patient as we ensure that these are done properly, because these are children and it’s in our interest to get it right. We want this transition to be as smooth as possible. We have seven days to complete the process, and the platform is available 24 hours a day, so requests can be submitted anytime—morning or night. By January 12, all learners will have joined their respective schools,” said Prof Bitok.
The PS revealed that to ensure efficiency, responsibilities have been delegated across levels: Cluster One schools approvals are handled at the Ministry headquarters, Cluster Two by regional directors, Cluster Three by county directors, and Cluster Four by sub-county directors.
"There are those who are interested in changing from STEM to social sciences, others want to change from social sciences to STEM, and others want to change from STEM to arts and sports, and vice versa. So we have requests across the board and from all over the country. I’m also happy to note that even as we process these revisions, we have delegated some responsibilities to our field officers,” he said during his supervision at Naivasha Boys Boarding JSS.
