CS Ogamba Under Pressure as KNEC Data Reveals Massive Dropout Numbers Before Grade 10

Fresh data released by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has sparked serious concern within the education sector after revealing that more than 151,000 learners from the first group of students under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) failed to make it to the end of junior secondary school.

The figures were presented during the Third Annual Education Assessment Symposium held on May 4.

The event was organised jointly by the Ministry of Education, KNEC, and the Education Resource Centre and brought together education stakeholders, policymakers, teachers, and experts to review the progress of the country’s new education system.

According to officials from KNEC, the statistics show a major gap in learner retention under the CBC system, raising fresh questions about the effectiveness of the programme and the challenges many families continue to face.

A KNEC official speaking during the symposium disclosed that the council’s data indicates that a large number of learners from the pioneer CBC class disappeared from the system before completing junior school.

“KNEC data is now showing that over 151,000 learners from CBC’s very first cohort are not making it to the end of junior school, and that is a serious concern,” the official stated during the meeting.

The council explained that when the first CBC learners joined Grade 4 in 2019, the total number of registered pupils stood at about 1.282 million.

However, when the same group reached Grade 9 and sat for the assessment meant to place them into senior school, only around 1.130 million learners participated.

This means that roughly 151,000 learners could not be accounted for by the time the cohort reached the end of junior secondary education.

The revelation has now placed Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and the Ministry of Education under intense scrutiny, with stakeholders demanding explanations about what happened to the missing learners and why the education system failed to retain them.

Education experts and stakeholders attending the symposium questioned whether economic hardships, school-related costs, and social challenges may have contributed to the alarming dropout rate.

Others argued that the government must urgently investigate the matter and establish where the affected learners ended up.

The data further revealed a noticeable gender imbalance in the dropout trend. According to the statistics shared during the symposium, boys were affected more heavily compared to girls.

Close to 100,000 male learners reportedly dropped out before completing Grade 9, while more than 51,000 girls also failed to finish junior school education.

The findings have raised concerns among education stakeholders, especially because many programmes in recent years have largely focused on keeping girls in school, while less attention has been directed toward challenges affecting boys.

Over the years, concerns have repeatedly been raised about the financial pressure placed on parents and guardians by the CBC system.

Parents in many parts of the country have complained about the high cost of learning materials, projects, school supplies, and other requirements associated with the curriculum.

KNEC has previously pointed out that the cost of implementing CBC remains one of the major reasons why some families, particularly those from low-income households, are forced to withdraw their children from school.

Stakeholders now believe that economic struggles being experienced by many Kenyan families may have played a huge role in the large number of learners who failed to complete junior school.

Despite the worrying figures presented during the symposium, Education CS Julius Ogamba quickly dismissed claims that the situation was as serious as portrayed by KNEC.

The CS argued that some of the information being circulated was inaccurate and insisted that transition rates within the CBC system remain extremely high.

“What came out was not actually the correct information because the transition rate from Grade 6 to Grade 7 is 100 per cent,” Ogamba explained.

He further stated that the transition from junior secondary to senior school had also been successful, maintaining that nearly all learners had already moved to Grade 10.

“The transition rate from Grade 9 to Grade 10 is at almost 99.8 per cent. We have already transitioned over 1.1 million learners. So some information is not the correct information,” he added.

Ogamba’s remarks were supported by Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, who strongly defended the Competency-Based Education system and described it as one of the greatest reforms ever introduced in Kenya’s education sector.

According to PS Bitok, the CBC model is more practical, learner-focused, and globally competitive compared to previous systems of education.

“Competence-based education, from where I sit, having travelled far and wide, is the best education system our country has ever had,” Bitok stated during the symposium.

Apart from the dropout concerns, KNEC also highlighted another worrying trend involving learner performance under the CBC system.

The data presented showed that many learners perform strongly during the foundational stages, especially around Grade 3, but their academic progress gradually weakens as they move into upper primary and junior secondary school.

Officials warned that learner performance appears to stagnate once students reach junior school, a trend that education implementers have now been urged to address urgently before the situation worsens further.

Experts attending the symposium noted that the findings could point to deeper systemic challenges affecting the implementation of CBC, including teacher preparedness, inadequate learning resources, overcrowded classrooms, and pressure on both learners and parents.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education also used the forum to issue a stern warning to school principals accused of exploiting parents through illegal school charges.

The ministry noted that some secondary school heads have continued introducing unauthorised levies despite government regulations clearly outlining the fees schools are allowed to charge.

This issue has become increasingly common as schools continue with the second term, forcing many parents to struggle financially while trying to keep their children in school.

Education officials reminded school administrators that tuition in public secondary schools remains free under government policy and that all additional levies must strictly follow approved government guidelines.

The Ministry warned that action could be taken against principals found violating the rules by imposing illegal charges on parents and guardians.

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