PS Bitok Dismisses Report Claiming 151,000 Learners Dropped Out of CBE System

A version of this article appeared on Citizen Digital.

Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok has dismissed findings from a report attributed to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), which indicates that more than 151,000 learners under the Competency Based Education (CBE) system dropped out before completion.

The figures, which emerged during a recent education assessment symposium, tracked the pioneer CBE cohort that began Grade 4 in 2019. Data showed that while 1.282 million learners were registered initially, only 1.130 million appeared for the Grade 9 assessment, leaving a significant gap of students unaccounted for.

Prof. Bitok has maintained that the government is recording near 100 per cent transition rates. He insisted that the CBE system remains the most transformative framework the country has ever adopted, directly disputing the validity of the dropout statistics circulating in the public domain.

The Principal Secretary further disowned the document, claiming it was not officially released by KNEC or any government agency. This denial comes despite the report being presented at the KNEC headquarters and carrying the official logo of the examinations council.

However, the official government position sharply contrasts with findings from a Citizen TV spot check. Field reports indicate that a February mop-up exercise conducted by the State Department of Education did not reflect the reality on the ground for many families.

In areas like Mukuru, learners who were reportedly placed in schools during the mop-up were sent home shortly after reporting. School administrators allegedly informed parents that no government funding had been received and no formal commitment had been made to support these admissions.

Parents and learners who gathered at the Embakasi South Deputy County Commissioner's office seeking intervention reported that their hopes were short-lived. Many students were briefly admitted and photographed in uniform before being turned away due to unpaid fees and a lack of resources.

Stakeholders in the sector have pointed to the high cost of learning materials and broader economic pressures as primary drivers for the attrition. The data specifically highlighted a gender disparity, noting that boys are dropping out at a higher rate than girls.

President Ruto has previously emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring no child is left behind in the transition to senior school. Despite this, the discrepancy between official transition claims and the number of students actually sitting for assessments remains a point of contention.

Infrastructure challenges also continue to shadow the CBE rollout. While the government's focus remains on classroom construction, the retention of learners once they are enrolled appears to be a growing systemic hurdle that the Ministry of Education has yet to fully reconcile.

The 2025 National Assessment Insights under CBE suggested a retention rate of approximately 88.17 per cent. This indicates that while enrollment remains high at the foundational levels, the system struggles to maintain consistency as learners progress into the more demanding junior and senior school stages.

Prof. Bitok remains bullish on the curriculum’s success, stating that the reforms will eventually bridge the skills gap in Kenya. For now, the thousands of learners currently out of the system represent a reality that contradicts the state's optimistic transition narrative.