How senior schools placement reviews, double intakes have put C4 schools on the brink

The two review windows for Grade 10 placements, combined with the complexities of the pioneer CBE transition—including the handling of double intakes in senior secondary schools—have dramatically skewed enrollment patterns across Kenya’s newly classified institutions.

C4 schools (formerly sub-county schools), which form the vast majority of secondary institutions nationwide with over 7,000 facilities, are now grappling with alarmingly low or even zero enrollments in some cases, while C1 (national), C2 (extra-county), and C3 (county) schools experience unprecedented surges in student numbers. This imbalance threatens the very survival of thousands of C4 schools and exposes fundamental flaws in the centralized placement system under the Competency-Based Curriculum.

Kenya’s senior secondary schools were reclassified into four clusters ahead of the 2026 intake: C1 for elite national institutions, C2 for strong extra-county schools, C3 for county-level ones, and C4 for the numerous sub-county facilities, many of which operate primarily as day schools serving local communities. With over 1.13 million KJSEA graduates, placement was intended to be merit-based, incorporating 60% from the KJSEA, 20% from Grade 6 KPSEA, and 20% from school-based assessments, while factoring in learners’ preferred pathways (STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts & Sports Science), subject combinations, and regional equity.

The initial automated placements via the KEMIS portal sparked widespread discontent, with parents and learners citing distant assignments, pathway mismatches, and allocations to under-resourced facilities. This triggered massive appeals: over 355,000 applications in the first review window (December 23-29, 2025), with around 211,000 approved, and a second window from January 6-9, 2026, allowing further submissions through junior or senior schools. The tight deadlines amid preparations for the January 12 reporting date left many scrambling.

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The review processes amplified parental preferences for prestigious institutions. High-performing learners gravitated toward C1, C2, and C3 schools, perceived as offering superior facilities, experienced teachers, and robust pathway options. Elite C1 schools faced tens of thousands competing for limited slots, while many C4 schools suffered mass rejections and transfers. Reports from regions like Machakos highlighted instances where allocated students failed to report, leaving schools with zero Grade 10 intake. Principals noted that even approved placements were sometimes overridden, further depleting numbers.

A critical yet under-discussed factor deepening this skew is the financial barrier posed by boarding requirements in higher clusters. C1, C2, and C3 schools are predominantly boarding institutions, with annual boarding fees capped at levels such as Ksh53,554 for urban-based schools or around Ksh40,000-45,000 for others, in addition to other joining requirements like uniforms, project fees, and personal items. For many poor parents, especially in rural and peri-urban areas, these costs—despite government capitation covering tuition—are prohibitive.

Families receive admission letters for these sought-after schools, but their children remain at home, unable to report due to inability to raise the necessary funds for boarding and related expenses. This silent exclusion funnels more pressure onto the system, as parents who can afford it push harder through appeals to secure spots in these boarding facilities, while those who cannot are effectively locked out.

In stark contrast, C4 schools are not just day schools in name; their proximity to learners’ homes makes them genuinely affordable for struggling parents. Under the Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) program, C4 institutions charge zero tuition fees, with the government providing capitation directly, eliminating major financial hurdles. No boarding costs apply, allowing children to commute daily without additional burdens on family budgets. This accessibility positions C4 schools as a lifeline for low-income households, ensuring education remains within reach without relocation or debt. Yet the prestige chase during reviews has pulled capable students away, leaving these community anchors under-enrolled.

The double intake dynamic further worsened the crisis. The 2026 year overlaps the exit of 8-4-4 Form Four leavers, freeing space, but the centralized system’s focus on merit and equity, without strong safeguards for lower-tier schools, turned the appeal windows into a mechanism favoring higher categories. Parents exploited opportunities to “upgrade,” citing better infrastructure or prestige, often overlooking the hidden costs.

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This enrollment skew carries dire consequences. C4 schools, the backbone of access for rural and low-income communities, face imminent closure risks. Low numbers jeopardize capitation justification, teacher deployment and operational viability, potentially leading to mergers or shutdowns that undermine free day secondary education. Meanwhile, surges in C1-C3 schools cause overcrowding, resource strain, and diluted quality – contradicting CBC’s learner-centered goals.

The Ministry insists all learners were placed with sufficient capacity nationwide, and no one was left behind. Ground realities, however, reveal a disconnect: the appeal windows, designed to fix errors, inadvertently fueled a prestige migration, compounded by inadequate sensitization on pathways, school realities, and true costs. Many families distrusted C4 assignments, viewing them as inferior despite CBC’s focus on competencies.

This saga highlights deeper issues: rushed digitization without robust testing, persistent inequalities in resource distribution and insufficient consideration of socioeconomic realities. Teacher unions and principals advocate for decentralized admissions to restore balance.

As Grade 10 classes settle amid disruptions—with many students still unresolved – the skewed enrollments warn of urgent need for action. Incentives for C4 schools, infrastructure boosts, public education on affordability and pathways and curbs on appeal-driven shifts are essential. C4 schools’ plight is not mere logistics; it threatens CBC’s inclusivity. Future cohorts must inherit a system valuing every school and learner equally, lest inequality’s underbelly widens further.

By Ashford Kimani

Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and serves as Dean of Studies.