Education Ministry Issues New Guidelines on Grade 10 School Replacements Ahead of January Reporting
The Ministry of Education has released detailed guidelines outlining how parents and learners can apply for school replacements ahead of the transition of Grade 10 students into junior secondary schools in January 2026.
In a statement issued by the ministry, junior secondary schools have been instructed to formally declare available vacancies through their respective County Directors of Education to facilitate the replacement process.
Parents seeking to have their children transferred to alternative schools will be required to submit replacement requests through the heads of junior schools. According to the guidelines, such requests must be made at least two weeks before the official Grade 10 reporting date, which has been set for January 12, 2026.
The ministry emphasised that the replacement process will prioritise learners who had initially selected the schools they are now requesting. Approval will strictly depend on the documented capacity of the receiving senior schools, with no exceptions permitted beyond available slots.
Once a replacement request has been approved, the Ministry of Education will issue joining instructions to successful learners through an online system. Schools have been expressly barred from issuing physical admission letters for replacement cases.
“At no time shall a school issue printed letters for replacement cases,” the ministry cautioned, stressing that all communication and documentation will be handled digitally.
The ministry further clarified that the replacement exercise will only be conducted once and will be irreversible upon completion. Parents and learners have therefore been urged to make informed decisions before submitting their applications.
“The officers involved are required to cooperate and ensure a fair and credible selection and placement process for a smooth transition of students from Junior School to Senior Schools,” the ministry stated.
The guidelines come shortly after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba officially released the results of the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) on Thursday, December 11.
The KJSEA examinations were conducted between October 27 and November 3, targeting the pioneer cohort of learners under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system who are set to transition into senior secondary school for the first time in January 2026.
According to official figures from the ministry, a total of 1,130,459 learners sat the 2025 KJSEA examination. Of these, 578,630 were male, while 551,829 were female, highlighting near gender parity in the assessment.
The Ministry of Education confirmed that the placement of Grade 10 learners will be conducted over the next two weeks. Students are expected to report to their respective schools on January 12, marking the beginning of senior secondary education under the new curriculum framework.
Teachers, parents, and learners have been advised to access school placement details through the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) portal, available at kjsea.knec.ac.ke. The portal will indicate the school each learner has been placed in following the automated placement process.
In addition, admission letters and school joining instructions will be accessed online using the learner’s assessment number. The ministry reiterated that the entire placement process is fully automated to enhance transparency and efficiency.
“All schools, both public and private, shall admit Grade 10 learners through KEMIS. No principal shall enter a learner into KEMIS before he or she reports to the school physically,” the ministry stated.
It added that daily online reporting will be closely monitored through the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) to ensure compliance with the new admission framework.
The ministry maintained that the guidelines are designed to support a smooth and accountable transition as Kenya continues to implement the Competency-Based Education system nationwide.
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Education Ministry Issues New Guidelines on Grade 10 School Replacements Ahead of January Reporting