With just days left before schools break for the August holiday, uncertainty is growing over this year's Grade 9 senior school selection after the Ministry of Education failed to announce when the exercise will begin. The delay has left parents, teachers and school heads searching for answers, with fears that the tight school calendar could affect preparations for the placement of more than one million learners.
Unlike last year, when the selection exercise had already begun by early June, schools say they have neither received official communication from the ministry nor been granted access to the online selection portal.
The first group of learners under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system made their selections between June 8 and June 30 last year. During that exercise, they chose their preferred career pathways, subject combinations and 12 senior schools through an online platform.
This year, however, schools are still waiting for instructions even as the second term draws to a close on July 31.
School administrators say they are also struggling to respond to persistent questions from parents eager to know when the exercise will start.
About 1.2 million Grade 9 learners, who make up the second cohort under CBE, are expected to use the ministry's automated placement system to select their career pathways, subject combinations and preferred senior schools.
Attempts to get a response from the State Department for Basic Education did not bear fruit, as calls and text messages sent to officials went unanswered.
Learners will choose from three career pathways: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science.
Before the exercise begins, public senior schools are expected to upload the subject combinations they will offer in 2027 so learners can make informed choices during the selection process.
Last year, the ministry directed junior schools to guide learners through the online selection portal, selection.education.go.ke.
A circular issued during the exercise by then Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok instructed regional, county and sub-county directors of education on how the process would be carried out.
Senior school principals were required to log into the portal using their institutions' Unique Identification Code (UIC), declare their Grade 10 admission capacity and upload subject combinations covering at least two career pathways.
Each school was required to provide the STEM pathway, while every subject combination had to accommodate a minimum of 15 learners.
Under the senior school curriculum, learners will study seven subjects. Mathematics, English, Kiswahili and Community Service Learning are compulsory, while the remaining subjects will depend on the learner's chosen pathway and career interests.
Placement into senior school will take place after the release of the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).