Following the release of the maiden Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) results under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, an unexpected dilemma has emerged among some of the country’s brightest learners over which pathway to pursue.
Top performers, qualifying for all three pathways; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports Sciences, are torn between options. Under the new system, Grade 9 learners must select one main pathway despite the curriculum’s promise of nurturing holistic talent. For those scoring Exceeding Expectations (EE) in academics and co-curricular areas, the choice feels limiting rather than liberating.