Relief as parents allowed to seek Grade 10 placement review at senior schools
Education
By
Mike Kihaki
| Jan 02, 2026
Parents and guardians of Grade 10 learners have received a major reprieve after the Ministry of Education allowed them to seek admission for Grade 10 learners at senior schools of their choice.
This follows a second phase of placement review scheduled for January 6 to January 9, 2026.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, in a statement on Friday, said the move is aimed at restoring flexibility in the placement of learners transitioning to senior school under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The move follows weeks of public criticism over a highly centralised placement process that parents and education stakeholders said limited choice and ignored individual learner needs.
Beginning January 6, principals of senior schools and heads of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) will initiate and submit placement review requests on behalf of parents and learners through the placement portal. The change effectively decentralises the process and restores a key role for school administrators.
“This means parents can now seek admission of their children at senior schools of their choice,” the Ministry said.
The announcement comes amid growing concern that the earlier system, largely managed from ministry headquarters, sidelined principals and failed to account for local realities, school capacity, and learner interests.
Ogamba said at least 350,000 learners had requested changes to either their assigned school or pathway.
“The first revision of placements to Grade 10 of Senior School was completed on December 29, 2025. Joining instructions for learners already placed have been accessible on the placement portal effective December 30, 2025,” Ogamba said.
Acknowledging that many concerns remained unresolved, Ogamba announced a further review window early in the new year.
“As earlier indicated, interested learners will have a further opportunity to apply for review of their placement from 6th January, 2026, to 9th January, 2026,” he said.
“The revision will provide parents, guardians, and learners the opportunity to provide legitimate and verifiable grounds to justify a reconsideration of the initial or revised placement.”
Under the revised framework, review requests may be initiated through the learner’s junior school or directly at the senior school of interest. All applications will be submitted by the head of the institution through the placement portal and processed in line with ministry guidelines.
Ogamba said the aim is to ensure uninterrupted access to education, optimal use of available resources, and the resolution of genuine placement challenges without disadvantaging learners.
The announcement comes as schools prepare to reopen for Term One on Monday, January 5, with Grade 10 learners set to report to senior schools on January 12.
“The ministry’s field officers, under the guidance of regional and county directors of education, will monitor compliance with the academic calendar as schools reopen,” added the CS.