Knec rolls out senior school hubs as CBE reform takes shape

 

KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere before the National Assembly  Committee on Education at Bunge Towers, Nairobi, on October 29, 2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

In a bid to ensure a smooth transition to Competency-Based Education (CBE), the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will roll out assessment hubs in senior schools across the country. These hubs are expected to transform curriculum delivery, enhance continuous learner assessment, and modernise how student progress is tracked across their learning pathways.

The initiative comes as the government prepares for the transition of Grade 9 learners into Senior School (Grade 10) in January 2026. According to KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere, the idea builds on the success of 235 Junior School assessment hubs and the recently established Research, Innovation and Educational Assessment Resource Centre (RIEARC).

“Kenya is entering a phase that demands new thinking, new tools, and new approaches to evaluating learners’ skills. We are moving towards assessments that value knowledge application, skills demonstration, creativity, and real-world performance,” Dr Njengere said.

He further noted that the hubs are designed to form the backbone of a more inclusive, equitable, and skills-oriented education system. “By combining practical evaluation, teacher capacity building, and innovation platforms, the hubs promise to transform the way learning and assessment are conducted in the country,” he added.

Unlike the former 8-4-4 system, where examinations were written and administered at the end of the year or a four-year cycle, the new Senior School hubs will support continuous, practical, and skills-based assessment. The model recognises the diverse talents of learners across three pathways: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; and Creative & Performing Arts and Sports Science.

“These hubs are not just assessment centres; they are innovation incubators,” Dr Njengere explained. “Teachers will experiment with new rubrics, project-based learning approaches, and ICT integration. They will also receive ongoing mentorship and professional learning sessions to build proficiency in pathway-specific assessments.”

The hubs will serve multiple functions. First, they will host practical assessments for subjects, such as robotics, laboratory sciences, agriculture, music, drama, and technical and vocational skills—areas in which many schools currently lack facilities or expertise. Second, they will act as central moderation points to verify and standardise School-Based Assessment (SBA) scores, ensuring fairness, quality control, and secure handling of assessment evidence. Third, they will provide structured teacher training on CBE assessments, equipping educators to guide learners effectively.

To strengthen inclusivity, the hub framework integrates 30 special schools offering the Stage-Based Curriculum at the vocational level, ensuring that learners with varying abilities, academic, artistic, sporting, or technical, receive equitable support.

Dr Njengere highlighted that despite improvements in education access, significant gaps persist in ensuring equal access to high-quality instruction. Supported by RIEARC, the hubs aim to address these inequalities using evidence-based policymaking informed by KNEC’s extensive historical data, some of which dates back nearly a century. “Teachers, principals, and quality assurance officers are encouraged to access these resources immediately,” he said.

During the sensitisation workshop, principals and teachers received training on hub operations, assessment registration and transfer procedures, scoring systems, and the integration of community service learning. The hubs are expected to help standardise assessment while addressing persistent challenges and inconsistencies in teacher-scored evaluations.

The initiative signals a shift from exam-centred evaluation to competency-centred learning, where continuous assessment, practical skills, and learner creativity take precedence. Dr Njengere urged educators to embrace their roles as “assessment champions” and mentor their colleagues as the country prepares for the rollout of Grade 10. “At the end of this programme, this training is designed not only to build your individual skills but to strengthen institutional preparedness for Grade 10 assessments and beyond,” he said.

Basic Education PS Julius Bitok recently praised the initiative, describing it as a visionary step aligned with Kenya’s long-term education goals. “Unlike the 8-4-4 system, which focused on exams, the CBE model promotes holistic development. We no longer test only what students can remember; we are assessing what they can do,” he said.

He added that the hubs have regional significance, with the potential to become centres of teacher development and educational innovation not only in Kenya but across East Africa.