Public universities directed to train teachers ahead of Grade 10 rollout

All public universities have been directed to begin urgent in-service training for secondary school teachers to prepare them for the rollout of senior school (Grade 10) in January 2026 under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala issued the directive, warning that the majority of current secondary school teachers lack the necessary competencies to teach in the three newly established career pathways: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences and Arts and Sports.

“You realise that our students will be transitioning to senior school in January. The teachers who are going to teach them are our product. These teachers do not have competencies in the three pathways,” Inyangala said during a meeting with university council chairpersons in Mombasa.

She said there are currently 154,200 teachers in secondary schools who must be retooled, starting in July, to handle the senior school curriculum.

“We have a very urgent assignment beginning in July to start developing those levels so that we can actualise in-service for the teachers who will be teaching in senior schools,” she said.

Inyangala further directed that the issue of in-service training be included in all future university council meetings.

Approximately 1.2 million learners are expected to transition from junior to senior school at the start of 2026.

National Assembly Education Committee Chairperson Julius Melly said the training is on course and reassured stakeholders of the government’s preparedness.

He revealed that Sh600 million has been allocated within the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) budget for the nationwide teacher training on CBE and transition to senior school.

“There is no cause for alarm. We have time. Retooling and capacity building are aspects of teaching. Every other time, teachers undergo several trainings on new skills, new methodology of teaching, and new ways of handling their subjects,” Melly said.

“Teaching and learning are an aspect of everyday life of a teacher, so it’s not a new thing.”

Meanwhile, Grade 9 learners are currently selecting their preferred pathways and subjects for senior school, guided by an ongoing month-long sensitisation campaign launched by the Ministry of Education.

Speaking in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County, Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok encouraged parents and guardians to support their children in the selection process.

“It is an easy process,” he said while commissioning a new multipurpose hall at ACK Kaplelach High School.

According to TSC data, over 229,292 primary school teachers and 75,000 junior school teachers have been trained since the introduction of the CBE seven years ago. More than 7,000 school principals have also undergone training.

Other Topics To Read

• Education
• TSC
• Teachers
• Ministry of Education
• public universities
• Beatrice Inyangala
• Grade 10
• senior school
• secondary school teachers
• CBE system
• Public universities directed to train teachers ahead of Grade 10 rollout
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In April, during a conference in Mombasa, chief principals of national schools called on the Ministry of Education to accelerate training efforts.

Outgoing TSC CEO Nancy Macharia also affirmed the commission’s commitment to ensure all teachers are ready.

“The employer is doing everything to ensure that all teaching staff are adequately trained to make them ready for the first cohort of Grade 10 students in 2026,” she said.

The pioneer CBE cohort will sit the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment in November, after which the Ministry of Education will place learners in senior schools based on their chosen pathways, interests, abilities and career aspirations.