Parents across the country are raising fresh concerns over the transition of learners to senior school under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum, warning that confusion, weak preparation and poor planning are placing students in schools that lack teachers, facilities and clear learning paths. As reporting dates draw closer, frustration is growing, with parents saying the system is moving faster than the support structures meant to sustain it.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Tuesday, National Parents Association Secretary General for Kiambu and the Central Region, Dr Maina Wa Gaithuru, said parents are alarmed by what they are discovering after school placements are released. He said many learners have been sent to institutions that are unable to support their abilities or chosen pathways.
“These are cases verifiable,” he said, adding that parents are “shouting on the tops of trees, on rooftops” after realizing that the schools selected for their children are ill-equipped.
Wa Gaithuru noted that the idea behind CBC was well intentioned, as it aimed to place learners based on their strengths rather than exam scores. “The CBC had a very good direction, a child will be placed basically on their strength,” he said. However, he argued that what is happening on the ground does not reflect that goal.
Kenya introduced the Competency-Based Curriculum in 2017 as a major shift from exam-focused learning. The new system was meant to build skills, talents and practical knowledge while supporting the overall growth of the learner. It placed emphasis on creativity, critical thinking and problem solving, with the aim of preparing young people for modern work and social life.
The curriculum was rolled out in stages, starting with early childhood and primary education. It is now entering a key phase as learners move into senior school, with the first reporting date set for early January 2026. This transition marks the first time students under CBC are joining senior school.
Despite this milestone, several problems remain unresolved. Schools are struggling with limited classrooms, missing facilities and a shortage of trained teachers for special subjects. Many institutions are unable to offer pathways in sports, arts or technical subjects due to limited funding and planning gaps. Parents and teachers say rushed decisions and poor placement choices risk undermining the entire system.
Wa Gaithuru questioned why Kenya keeps pointing to Singapore as a benchmark without putting in place similar preparation. “If we have to go to Singapore education level, we must emulate their system,” he said. He warned that copying models without building the right base would only lead to failure. “Without the proper system of education, then we are lost.”
He said many schools described as senior or high schools only carry the title, without the teachers or equipment needed to support specialized learning. “You cannot place an art student at a sport school, we don’t have teachers of sports,” he said, recalling visits to schools where administrators admitted they could not handle certain pathways.
He also questioned the push for sports pathways when schools lack even basic facilities. “Has the government given facilities? There are no facilities,” he said, pointing to cases where learners are said to be practising swimming on grass because there are no pools.
Drawing from his own experience as a student, Wa Gaithuru argued that talent development did not previously require formal pathways. “We didn’t need a special pathway to direct us towards rugby,” he said, explaining that sports and arts thrived through school activities supported by teachers and outside coaches.
He said the government could still address the gap by hiring skilled coaches and trainers, noting that many young people are unemployed and could support arts and sports education if given the chance.
Wa Gaithuru accused the Ministry of Education of failing to act on feedback from parents and educators. “We have meetings, but they are never put into practice,” he said. He recalled earlier warnings from stakeholders against rushing CBC in primary schools without first improving facilities in secondary schools.
He also raised questions about the education budget, which he estimated at between Sh600 billion and Sh700 billion each year. “It is a lot of money,” he said, asking why many schools still lack laboratories, equipment and learning materials. “Somebody should answer the public clearly where this money goes.”
He claimed that poor use of funds has led to waste, including the purchase of books for subjects that are not taught in some schools. “A lot of resources have been wasted because it is somebody’s business,” he said, describing education as one of the sectors most affected by corruption.
As senior school reporting dates approach, Wa Gaithuru called on authorities to slow down and reassess the process. “Let the principals do their work. Let the principals take the might of a student according to their strength,” he said, warning that rushing ahead could harm an entire generation.
“These children will ask one day, where did the 700 billion go?” he said, adding that unless funding, facilities and planning are aligned, CBC shall not come to fruit.
