The government and parents of Kenya have recorded significant national progress in implementing the 100% School Transition Policy, with 97% of learners who completed Grade 6 in 2025 successfully transitioning to Junior Secondary School (JSS), a major milestone that demonstrates near-universal compliance with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) progression framework.
A report compiled by the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) in collaboration with County Directors of Education confirms that Kenya is sustaining strong momentum on both learner access, retention and progression.
“We reaffirm the Government’s commitment to full transition as a national imperative: every child has a human and constitutional right to education and we all should work together to avoid preventable dropouts driven by cost barriers, delayed placement, or social vulnerabilities,” a statement from the Ministry of Interior says.
The report further indicates that 61% of eligible learners have joined Senior Secondary School, noting that enrollment is ongoing.
The Ministry of Education has since extended the reporting timelines to January 21, in response to concerns by stakeholders while addressing challenges individual families may be facing; an inclusive measure to reach learners who are yet to report or complete placement processes, with coordinated community-level actions continuing across counties.
In the statement, the government appreciated all Kenyans who are part of our community-led interventions anchored in local accountability. “We are intensifying our targeted interventions to ensure every eligible learner transitions smoothly across all pathways.”
Key measures underway include:
- Door-to-door tracing and household mapping to identify and re-engage learners who have not reported;
- Community sensitization forums through barazas, religious institutions, and local platforms to mobilize families and guardians; and
- Bursaries and scholarships for vulnerable learners, coordinated through County Governments, NG-CDF and NGAOs to minimize financial exclusion.
While progress is significantly strong, the report notes specific barriers that are pragmatically delaying Senior Secondary School transition including: financial constraints, isolated cases of early pregnancies, learner absenteeism or reluctance, and placement delays linked to families seeking alternative schools.
In response, both government actors and parents are strengthening bursary mobilization, counseling and re-entry support, community engagement through local leadership structures, and faster placement guidance.
This progress reflects more than compliance, it reflects a growing national culture that recognizes education as the most reliable path to productivity, opportunity and national transformation.
With sustained community collaboration and continued institutional coordination, Kenya is firmly on track to secure a future where every learner transitions, every learner is supported, and every learner is seen through their education ambition.
