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What 8-4-4 High School Teachers Must Know About the Grade 10 CBE
Introduction: The Countdown to Change
If you've been teaching under the 8-4-4 system for years, it's time to prepare: in 2026, everything changes! The educational landscape is undergoing a massive reform with the full implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) structure.
For high school teachers, the most immediate and impactful change will be how students move into Senior School (Grade 10). This shift requires a fundamental rethinking of assessment, pedagogy, and placement.
Understanding the New Structure
The 8-4-4 model is being replaced by a structure that emphasizes progression and continuous learning:
| Old System (8-4-4) | New System (CBE) |
|---|---|
| 8 years Primary | 2 years Pre-Primary and 6 years Primary |
| 4 years Secondary | 3 years Junior School and 3 years Senior School |
| 4 years University | 3 years Tertiary |
Your traditional Form 1, 2, 3, and 4 high school structure is being replaced by the 3 years of Senior School. We must prepare for the Grade 10 transition, which marks the entry point into this phase.
The Critical Transition: Grade 9 to Grade 10
Under the CBE framework, Grade 9 completion is a crucial step. Students completing their Junior School phase will not be assessed via the high-stakes, single examinations teachers are accustomed to.
Instead, their Senior School placement will be determined by the KNEC's KJSEA Grading system. High school teachers must familiarize themselves with this new grading system because it dictates the crucial pathways students will follow once they enter Grade 10.
Grade 9 completion is tied to understanding these pathways the transition into Senior School is now based on demonstrated competencies and subject choices aligned with students' future career paths.
The Pedagogical Revolution: Moving Beyond Exams
Crucially, the students arriving in your Grade 10 classrooms have spent their entire educational journey in the CBE framework, from pre-primary through junior school. They are not new to this system; they are the products of it.
This means that high school teachers, transitioning from 8-4-4 methodologies, must understand that these Grade 10 students are arriving with specific CBE expectations:
- No More High-Stakes Exams: CBE is designed to move away from relying solely on terminal examinations.
- Continuous Feedback is the Expectation: Students will now expect continuous feedback as part of the assessment process—not just feedback following termly or annual exams.
- Collaborative Learning is Key: CBE encourages teaching methods that prioritize collaborative learning. High school teachers should incorporate more group work, projects, and teamwork into daily lessons.
The Teacher's Advantage in CBE
While this transition may seem daunting, a core goal of the new system is to empower teachers. Under the previous system, teachers often spent significant time on evaluation and administrative tasks. The new structure aims to allow teachers to "take their time back and focus on teaching and not tracking competencies."
The assessment methods under CBE are being optimized to streamline the measurement process, ensuring that the focus shifts back to instruction and facilitation of learning.
Are you ready for this transition? 💪 Embrace the change and prepare for a rewarding, competency-focused future in the Senior School phase.
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