
The government is ready for transition to Grade 9.
Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang says this is through construction a total of 11, 000 additional classrooms and 1, 600 laboratories for senior school across the country.
The PS was speaking while on an inspection tour of the constructions in Nakuru County Friday.
During his visits, the PS visited Njoro Constituency where he was received by area MP Charity Kathambi and other education officials from Nakuru.
The PS and team inspected Tagitech Comprehensive School, DEB comprehensive school in Njoro where he expressed satisfaction in the ongoing construction work.
“We are committed to ensuring some of the infrastructural challenges are addressed so that we can have a smooth transition to Grade 9,” he stated.

On her part Njoro MP Charity Kathambi lauded the government’s agenda on education sector.
Later the PS visited Mirera comprehensive school in Naivasha, Shermoi Comprehensive school, Turi sugwita comprehensive School among others.
On Thursday September 19, 2024 the PS was on a similar mission in Nyandarua county where he reiterated the same adding that the government is constructing 11, 000 classrooms in selected primary schools in readiness for grade 9 in January 2025.
The PS called on heads of institutions to equip the new classrooms using part of capitation money meant for maintenance and improvement to make them habitable by January 2025.
“We have also agreed with head teachers that out of the capitation that we give them, we have Ksh 3000 that goes towards maintenance and improvement. Using that particular resource, they will be able to furnish the classrooms to make sure we have desks for use in January 2025” said Kipsang.
The PS noted that grade nine will complete the cycle for primary school starting with PP1/PP2, primary school and the Junior School.
“This is how we are we are implementing CBC on those three levels of learning as we prepare for transition to senior school in January 2026,” he said.
On transition to grade 10, the PS said the initial pilot assessment of grade nine pupils was done in July and will guide teachers on the type of assessment pupils will go through.
He observed that these assessments will help extrapolate on how placement in grade 10 will be undertaken.
Meanwhile, the PS pointed that placement in grade 10 will be based on the three identified pathways of STEM, HUMANITIES and CREATIVEs AND SPORTS.
“Going forward, we are not going to have categorization of schools in National, Extra County and the like. A child will be saying I want to do STEM, which school has STEM, so the first thing to think about is the pathway, then the pathway takes the child to a school” he declared adding that pathways will be critical.
Every school will offer at least two pathways with STEM being a compulsory pathway.
The PS said to feed polytechnics built in every constituency, it was important that STEM is offered as a compulsory pathway.
To actualize success of STEM in senior school, the PS stated that the government will build 1600 laboratories in senior schools.
“To prepare our secondary schools to offer STEM, starting January, we are going to construct a laboratory in every senior school without a lab,” he announced noting that practicals are key in simulating what is learned in theory.
On preparation for the coming exams of KCSE and grade 6, the PS remarked that the ministry is ready for delivery of the same.
He pointed out that he has coordinated with the ministry of interior and all security arrangement are complete.
On Endarasha fire, he said all children who perished have been identified through DNA and marched to their parents.
He said that a date will soon be announced when there shall be a service for the children who perished and everything will be done to give them a befitting burial.
He commented that the multi-agency team is going on with inspection of schools for adherence to regulations and a report will be given in good time for next year 2025 school calendar.
He asked parents to cooperate if told to move their children to other schools due to capacity of their current schools.