The high cost of education has been singled out as the greatest obstacle facing households as Grade 9 learners transition into senior secondary school, according to a new national survey by Infotrak Research & Consulting Limited.
The study shows that 39 per cent of respondents cited school fees combined with the expense of uniforms as the most pressing challenge for families during the Grade 10 transition under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
Within this group, 13 per cent said the lack of school fees alone was the single biggest barrier, as 1.13 million learners enrolled for senior school.
Beyond the financial burden, 19 per cent pointed to inadequate information or guidance on the new system, while another 19 per cent admitted they did not know what difficulties families were experiencing.
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Four per cent mentioned uncertainty about student placement, two per cent highlighted inadequate learning materials, psychological stress, and shortages in facilities, infrastructure and teachers.
Infotrak said the survey involved 1,000 respondents aged 18 and above, guided by the 2019 national census, and carried a margin of error of +/-3.10 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level. It covered all 47 counties and the eight regions of Kenya, with samples proportionately distributed to ensure national representation.
Despite the challenges, the survey suggests a generally positive outlook on the education system under the new framework. Nearly half of Kenyans, 49 per cent, said the quality of education has improved since the introduction of CBE. Another 18 per cent said it has remained the same, while 34 per cent felt it had worsened, with Northeastern recording the highest approval at 78 per cent, while the Coast region had the highest proportion of respondents, 50 per cent, who said quality had declined.
The survey also sought views on the CBC grading system, which categorizes learners as Exceeds Expectation, Meets Expectation, Approaching Expectation or Below Expectation. Overall, 45 per cent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the grading system, 38 per cent expressed satisfaction, and 17 per cent said they did not know.
Northeastern showed the highest satisfaction at 80 per cent, while the Coast region recorded 55 per cent dissatisfaction. Gender differences were minimal, with opinions evenly split between men and women.
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On the issue of school uniforms, respondents were asked whether the government should scrap the requirement in secondary schools. The proposal was overwhelmingly rejected, with 63 per cent saying no, compared to 36 per cent who supported the idea and three per cent who were undecided.
Rift Valley stood out as the only region where a majority, 51 per cent. supported scrapping uniforms.
By gender, 67 per cent of women opposed the proposal compared to 60 per cent of men, while 39 per cent of men supported it against 30 per cent of women.
The poll was conducted between December 2025 and January 2026 using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI).
By Masaki Enock
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