The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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The release of Grade 10 placement results on Friday was initially met with excitement from parents and learners after hours of anxious anticipation, but the mood quickly shifted to confusion and worry when the SMS system meant to relay the information began malfunctioning.
Many parents and candidates who tried to check the placements received error messages indicating that the requested details were unavailable or that the assessment number did not exist, prompting doubts over whether the process had been completed.
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The Ministry of Education had instructed candidates to send their Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) number, issued by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), to the short code 22263 to access their placement details. However, several parents reported that the automated response suggested placements were still being processed and that they would be notified once the information was ready.
Later that night, the government confirmed that the placement data had indeed been uploaded and advised parents and learners to resend their registration numbers to the same short code. While this clarification calmed some nerves, intermittent access problems continued for others.
The placements apply to the first cohort under the Competency-Based Education system, consisting of 1,130,459 learners who are scheduled to join Grade 10 on Monday, January 12, 2026.
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The learners had selected their preferred senior schools and pathways in May as part of their transition to Grades 10 to 12. Under the new system, placement is fully automated and considers learners’ chosen pathways, their performance in the KJSEA, and the availability of slots in each school.
Senior school offers three main pathways: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; and Arts and Sports, with English, Kiswahili and Mathematics remaining compulsory subjects across all pathways.
Placement into the four senior school categories—national, extra-county, county and sub-county—is based on merit.
Even among parents who managed to access the results, concerns emerged over some of the outcomes. One parent questioned why a learner who performed exceptionally well across all nine learning areas was placed in a county school, arguing that the decision deserved a review.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, speaking on December 11 at the release of the first KJSEA results at KNEC headquarters in South C, said parents and learners would be allowed to appeal. He explained that those dissatisfied with their school or pathway allocation could request a transfer or change within a two-week window.
Despite this assurance, some parents felt the appeal period was too brief, especially given the approaching reporting date. On social media, concerns were raised about top-performing learners being assigned to sub-county day schools, with parents noting that the deadline for changes—December 29—comes weeks before the January 12 reporting date, heightening anxiety among families.
