NAIROBI – Close to 24,000 students seeking a change in their Grade 10 placement for the 2026 academic year have had their requests declined, the Ministry of Education has announced. With over 100,000 review applications submitted, officials cite a strict merit-based system and severe capacity constraints in popular national schools as the primary reasons for the high number of rejections.
Review Window Sees High Volume, Significant Rejections
By the fourth day of the seven-day online review window, the Ministry had processed over 86,000 of the more than 100,000 applications received. Of these, 62,000 requests were approved, meaning roughly one in four processed applications was unsuccessful.
“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,” Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok stated, as reported by the Daily Nation.
Prof. Bitok explained that the outcome reflects the intense competition for slots, particularly in top-performing institutions. He urged parents and learners with declined requests to carefully review the portal for schools with remaining vacancies and reapply.
Process Designed for Transparency and Efficiency
The online review platform, a pioneering feature of the transition under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), allows each learner to select up to four alternative schools. The ministry has delegated the approval workload across national, regional, county, and sub-county offices to process the high volume of requests efficiently.
“We want this transition to be as smooth as possible,” Bitok said, assuring that the platform is available 24/7 and that all learners will have joined their respective schools by January 12, 2026. The review covers approximately 9,000 senior schools listed on the placement portal.
Ministry Appeals for Constructive Engagement
Acknowledging the anxieties of this pioneer CBC transition to Grade 10, the Ministry has emphasized its commitment to a fair process. In a statement, Prof. Bitok stressed the focus on “making the placement process as transparent, fair, and satisfactory as possible,” while considering learner preferences and school capacities.
The government maintains that the review period is essential for addressing concerns while upholding the integrity and order of the national placement exercise, encouraging all stakeholders to engage constructively as the system is refined.
