Consolidation of Primary and Junior Secondary Education
The Ministry of Education has officially approved a restructuring of Kenya’s basic education system, which will merge primary and Junior Secondary School (JSS) levels into a single entity called the Comprehensive School. This decision was formalized during the National Conference on Education, which took place from May 7 to 9, 2026, at the Lake Naivasha Resort. Inaugurated by President William Ruto, the conference brought together educational stakeholders to optimize the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
This integrated model is designed to remove the separation between primary and junior secondary education, addressing current issues related to resource allocation and staffing. According to the Ministry, the unified structure is expected to facilitate smoother student transitions and reduce administrative redundancies that have previously affected the implementation of the JSS curriculum.
Centralized Administration and Funding
Comprehensive Schools will function under a single governance framework to ensure better coordination. Conference resolutions specify that each Comprehensive School will be led by one qualified Head of Institution and governed by a single Board of Management. The head will be supported by two deputy headteachers, who will respectively manage the primary and JSS divisions.
To support equitable resource distribution, stakeholders agreed to align school fees and capitation models under a common financial plan. Additionally, a unified national bursary and scholarship program for basic education, TVET, and universities will be digitized and administered through the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS).
Standardization of School Uniforms
In an effort to mitigate educational expenses for parents, the government has also proposed the introduction of standardized school uniforms across the new comprehensive system.
