Govt to extend admission of Grade 10 learners to senior schools
By Nancy Marende, January 15, 2026The government has announced an extension of the reporting period for Grade 10 learners joining senior secondary schools, in a move aimed at ensuring that no child is locked out of the education system.
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok made the announcement while overseeing the admission process at Alliance Boys High School on Thursday, January 15, 2026, and assured parents and learners that the extension would give more time for students who have yet to report.
The PS urged parents seeking transfers to first take their children to the schools they have been officially called to, noting that the placement and selection process was conducted transparently and fairly.
Further, Bitok stated that the number of learners reporting to senior schools has been steadily increasing and expressed confidence that the remaining students will report within the extended period.
“So far, we are confident ,and the numbers are growing slowly. By tomorrow, these numbers will be up,” he said.
He further assured Kenyans that the government expects a 100 percent transition from Grade 9 to Grade 10, emphasizing that there are sufficient spaces available in senior secondary schools across the country.
“Our expectation is that by the end of this process, all students will have been placed successfully. We have enough spaces in Grade 10 senior schools,” Bitok affirmed.
This comes a few weeks after the Ministry of Education has rejected 66,000 appeals from learners seeking a revision of their Grade 10 senior school placements, citing limited capacity in highly sought-after schools.
Speaking on the outcome of the placement review process on Saturday, December 27, 2025, Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said that out of 183,000 placement appeals processed by the Ministry of Education, 116,000 were approved while 66,000 were declined
“Out of the 183,000 that have been processed, 116,000 of them have been approved. The transfers have gone through, while 66,000 have been declined. That is the position we have now,” Bitok said.
According to the PS, the main reason for rejecting the appeals was overcrowding in a small number of popular schools.
He noted that more than 50,000 learners applied to just 20 schools, most of which have a capacity of about 500 students each.
“It is impossible to deal with that number. These schools can only accommodate around 500 students each, which is why we had to decline some of the requests and ask learners to consider other options, especially public schools,” he explained.