NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 1 – Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has announced that contractors have completed and handed over 15,000 new classrooms for Grade 9 learners in junior schools across the country.
Speaking at Jamhuri High School in Nairobi, Kipsang reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring a smooth transition under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) by providing the necessary infrastructure in all schools.
“To ensure a seamless transition in competency-based education, together with our Members of Parliament, we have now built 15,000 classrooms for our junior school Grade 9 learners,” he stated.
Kipsang emphasized that 2025 marks a critical phase for CBC as the government prepares to transition the first cohort from junior school to senior school. He noted that a summative assessment will be conducted in November to properly align learners in their respective schools.
“For years, PP1 and PP2 learners have shared the same environment in primary schools. They then spent six years in primary school and another three in junior school within familiar surroundings. This transition to senior school will be a significant milestone,” he said.
To ensure the smooth implementation of CBC, Kipsang called for collaboration among all education stakeholders.
Shift System Consideration
At the start of the school term in January, the government had considered implementing a shift system for Grade 9 learners due to concerns over classroom shortages.
Kipsang explained that this was a short-term measure to allow contractors time to finalize construction. The system would have enabled two groups of students to use the same facilities at different times.
“In cases where congestion persists, we can adopt a multi-shift approach, allowing one group to engage in outdoor activities while another utilizes the classrooms to optimize learning,” he said.
The government aims to complete the remaining 1,000 classrooms by February, with construction being funded through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
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