The government has embarked on building 1,600 science laboratories in public schools to smooth the transition of learners from junior to senior school under the competency-based curriculum (CBC).
Basic Education Principal Secretary Amb. Julius Bitok said the move is designed to guarantee a 100 percent transition for the pioneer Grade 9 class, who will sit their final examinations in October, into Grade 10 next year.
“All 1.2 million Grade 9 learners will have a place in senior school. We’ve already mapped out smaller schools without labs and expect all 1,600 to be complete within the next three months,” he said. “In the past two years, we’ve also built 23,000 classrooms to support CBC implementation.”
Speaking during a tour of the Gravity CBC Centre in Nairobi, Bitok stressed the importance of hands-on learning, urging schools and stakeholders to work together to prepare learners for the real world.
He praised private and faith-based organizations for their contributions, saying model centres like Gravity could be replicated nationwide.
“What’s impressive here is the use of locally available materials that learners can relate to. Imported equipment may look good, but it’s harder for students to connect with it,” he noted.
Bitok called on all education stakeholders to invest in well-resourced CBC centres to equip learners with real-life skills ahead of their senior school transition.
The model centre offers a full range of practical skills from home hygiene, cooking, and bed-making to understanding human body systems and motor mechanics.
This approach, he said, marks a sharp break from the 8-4-4 system’s focus on rote learning, placing emphasis instead on ‘learning by doing.’
