As Kenya stands on the cusp of a historic educational milestone, the pioneer cohort of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) learners is set to transition into Grade 10 in January 2026. These students, the first to fully navigate the 2-6-3-3-3 system introduced in 2019, represent a generational shift from the rote-learning, exam-centric 8-4-4 structure to one that prioritises practical skills, critical thinking, creativity, and real-world competencies. Yet, as these young innovators prepare to enter senior secondary school, a critical question looms: are our secondary schools culturally ready to nurture them?
The CBC framework, designed to align with Vision 2030’s goal of producing skilled, adaptable citizens, demands more than new textbooks or laboratories. It requires a fundamental transformation in school culture—the unwritten norms, teaching practices, and institutional mindsets that have long defined secondary education in Kenya. For decades, secondary schools have operated under a high-stakes examination culture, where success is measured by KCSE grades, memorisation reigns supreme, and teacher-centred lectures dominate classrooms. Punishment for poor performance, rigid timetables, and a focus on cramming content have been the hallmarks. This environment, while familiar, is antithetical to the learner-centred, inquiry-based approach of CBC.
The pioneer Grade 10 learners arrive with a different educational DNA. Having progressed through pre-primary to junior secondary under CBC, they are accustomed to project-based learning, continuous assessments, group collaborations and subjects that integrate practical activities – like agriculture, pre-technical studies, and creative arts. In senior school, they will specialise in one of three pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science, taking just seven subjects, including core ones like Community Service Learning and Physical Education. This structure allows 40 lessons per week of 40 minutes each, emphasising depth over breadth, competencies over marks.
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However, many secondary schools remain anchored in the old paradigm. Teachers, often trained under 8-4-4, may default to lecture-style delivery, viewing CBC’s emphasis on facilitation as time-consuming or unstructured. School administrators, habituated to ranking students by exam scores, might resist shifting to formative assessments that track competencies like problem-solving and digital literacy. The culture of corporal punishment or harsh discipline, still lingering in some institutions despite bans, clashes with CBC’s nurturing of self-efficacy and lifelong learning. Moreover, parental expectations, shaped by decades of national exam pressure, could reinforce demands for “top marks” rather than holistic development.
These cultural mismatches pose real risks to the pioneer cohort. Without adaptation, these learners, over 1.1 million strong, having sat the Kenya Junior Secondary School Education Assessment (KJSEA) in late 2025, could face frustration, disengagement, or underperformance. Reports from junior secondary implementation highlight teething problems: insufficient teacher retooling, where many educators feel unprepared for competency-based methods; infrastructure gaps, despite government efforts to build 2,600 laboratories; and delays in textbook supply due to unpaid debts to publishers. As the senior school rollout approaches, similar issues threaten to undermine progress.
Teacher preparedness remains a flashpoint. While the Teachers Service Commission has conducted cascade trainings and multi-agency retooling, educators in various counties report inadequate exposure to CBC pedagogies. Handling specialised pathways requires not just subject knowledge but skills in guiding learner choices, facilitating projects, and assessing non-traditional outcomes. A culture that views teaching as mere content delivery will stifle CBC’s potential.
Infrastructure challenges further expose cultural inertia. Many secondary schools lack dedicated spaces for practical learning—workshops for STEM, studios for arts, or fields for sports. The government’s push for virtual labs and new constructions is commendable, but schools must culturally embrace shared resources and innovative teaching, rather than clinging to isolated, theory-heavy classrooms.
Parental and community involvement is another cultural frontier. CBC envisions parents as partners, contributing to projects and values education. Yet, in a system where parents traditionally deferred to teachers, this shift demands outreach: workshops to explain pathways, KJSEA’s descriptive grading (from “Exceeding Expectations” to “Below Expectations”), and the irrelevance of raw marks.
Changing school culture is not merely administrative; it is existential. Schools must foster environments where failure in a project is a learning opportunity, not a punishable offence. Where collaboration trumps competition. Where digital tools and community service are integrated seamlessly. Principals and boards of management must lead this charge, modelling inclusivity and innovation.
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The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms recognised these needs, recommending enhanced stakeholder engagement and value-based education. Now, as placements for Grade 10 are finalised – based on KJSEA (60%), school-based assessments (40%), and learner preferences – schools have a window to act.
Positive examples exist: some institutions have already adopted CBC-friendly practices, with teachers embracing mentorship roles and students thriving in pathway explorations. National schools, mandated to offer all three pathways, are positioned to lead by example.
For the pioneer Grade 10 learners, this transition is more than academic; it is about realising Kenya’s promise of equitable, relevant education. If secondary schools cling to outdated cultures, we risk producing a generation ill-served by the very reform meant to empower them. But if we embrace change – retraining teachers comprehensively, investing in supportive environments, and reorienting mindsets – we can unlock CBC’s transformative power.
The time for incremental adjustments has passed. Our secondary schools must evolve culturally to accommodate these pioneers, ensuring they emerge not just as graduates, but as competent, confident contributors to Kenya’s future. The success of CBC hinges not on policy alone, but on the collective will to cultivate a new educational ethos. Let us commit to this change, for the sake of our learners and our nation.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and serves as Dean of Studies
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