Education Ministry Forced to Extend Grade 10 Deadline After Slow Reporting Sparks Concern
The Ministry of Education has explained its decision to extend the Grade 10 reporting deadline to Wednesday, January 21, after data revealed that hundreds of thousands of learners had yet to report to their assigned senior schools.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced the extension on Friday, January 16, saying the move was aimed at ensuring a 100 per cent transition of learners into senior school under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) structure.
Speaking to TV47, Ogamba said the government was keen to ensure that no learner is left behind due to factors beyond their control.
“We have extended the reporting deadline to January 21 to ensure every learner transitions to senior school. No child should miss out because of administrative or logistical challenges,” Ogamba said.
Slow reporting raises alarm
The decision follows growing concern from school administrators, parents and education stakeholders over slow reporting rates, particularly in extra-county and sub-county schools.
Ministry data seen as the initial January 16 deadline approached showed that only about 400,000 learners out of the 1.1 million students placed in Grade 10 senior schools had reported. This left an estimated 700,000 learners still at home, sparking fears that the transition timeline could be severely disrupted.
Officials say the slow uptake has been driven by a combination of factors, including high school fees, long travel distances, and uncertainty among parents about the preparedness of some institutions to deliver the new senior school curriculum.
Disparity between national and lower-tier schools
While most national schools are reportedly close to reaching full capacity, the same cannot be said for several extra-county and sub-county schools, which continue to record low student turnout.
This imbalance has raised questions about parental preference, school readiness and lingering concerns over infrastructure, staffing and learning resources in some institutions.
Despite the low turnout in certain schools, the Ministry of Education has insisted there is no risk of overcrowding, maintaining that the overall senior school capacity exceeds the number of learners placed this year.
Officials say the extra time will allow parents and schools to resolve outstanding issues and give learners a smoother transition into senior school, which marks a critical phase in the CBC system.
The Ministry has urged parents and guardians to take advantage of the extended deadline and ensure learners report to school before January 21, warning that further delays could disrupt academic planning and curriculum implementation.
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Education Ministry Forced to Extend Grade 10 Deadline After Slow Reporting Sparks Concern