The government has officially transitioned from the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to a new framework known as Competency-Based Education (CBE). Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok announced the change during a thanksgiving ceremony at Baringo High School in Eldama Ravine, describing CBE as “the best education system in the world.”
According to PS Bitok, CBE focuses on nurturing the individual talents and passions of learners, aiming to produce a more self-driven and capable generation. “CBE is the best education system in the world because it gives our youth the potential to showcase their talents,” he said. Bitok emphasized that the system would be supported by the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) to ensure a seamless 100 per cent transition from Junior School to Senior School.
The Ministry expects 1.2 million learners to move from Grade 9 to Grade 10 this year, a key milestone in the new model. However, this transition has been clouded by growing frustration among teachers and parents over the lack of clear guidelines on learning pathways—an essential aspect of the CBE framework.
Many educators have expressed concern that without published directives on how students should select their specialized tracks, schools and families are left in uncertainty just as critical decisions need to be made. The ambiguity has sparked anxiety in learning institutions, with school heads struggling to advise students appropriately.
In a bid to address these concerns, the Ministry of Education has convened over 1,000 stakeholders to refine and guide the implementation of CBE. The government has also pledged to recruit 24,000 new teachers in 2025 to support the rollout of the system and ease teacher shortages.
While the government maintains that CBE will better align education with the country’s development needs by focusing on individual learners’ strengths and career readiness, stakeholders await practical guidelines and policy clarity to ensure its success. The coming months will be critical in determining whether CBE can deliver on its promise or repeat the teething problems experienced during the CBC era.
