Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has undergone another major restructuring following recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER). The reforms, submitted to President William Ruto in August 2023, introduce significant changes including a reduction in learning areas, the introduction of mandatory community service, and a revised school structure aimed at easing learner transitions and lowering costs for parents. Public consultations indicated that 51.15 percent of respondents supported continuing CBC, provided key adjustments were made.
Under the new framework, the previous 2-6-3-3 structure has been revised to 2-6-3-3-3, covering two years of Pre-Primary, six years of Primary, three years each in Junior and Senior School, and a minimum of three years of tertiary education. Junior secondary schools will now be hosted in existing primary schools under a comprehensive school system, a move intended to help younger learners integrate smoothly while addressing psychosocial and logistical challenges. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has also reduced learning areas from nine to seven in Lower Primary, twelve to eight in Upper Primary, and fourteen to nine in Junior School, easing the workload and costs previously borne by learners and families.
Assessment reforms are also part of the overhaul, with final examinations now accounting for 60 percent of scores, while class-based assessment contributes 40 percent, reversing the initial CBC weighting. In addition, the PWPER recommended abolishing the traditional categorization of public schools (National, Extra-county, County, Sub-county) in favor of a career-pathway model, and introducing mandatory community service for Senior School and tertiary graduates—three months before tertiary admission and nine months post-graduation, with a certificate of compliance required for entry into the workforce. Experts say these reforms aim to make education more flexible, equitable, and aligned with Kenya’s workforce needs.