Kenya’s Ministry of Education launches a digital school allocation system using AI to ensure fair and transparent Grade Nine placement.
The Ministry of Education has unveiled a digital school allocation system to guide the placement of more than 1.13 million Grade Nine learners set to sit for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
This innovative system, currently under pilot testing, seeks to promote equity, transparency, and inclusivity in Kenya’s first-ever transition of junior secondary students to senior school under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
According to Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok, the government will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to manage the placement process. “This digital allocation ensures every learner, regardless of their background, gets a fair chance at joining their preferred school,” he stated.
The new approach will ensure that learners from all 47 counties are represented in Cluster One schools — the nation’s top-tier institutions, previously known as national schools. Kenya currently boasts more than 100 of these schools, renowned for their superior infrastructure and facilities.
The system also aligns learners with one of three academic pathways: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports.
Education experts say the system will reduce bias and promote national cohesion by allowing students from any part of Kenya to access top schools across the country.
With over 2.4 million available Grade 10 slots, the ministry has assured parents that capacity will not be a concern as the transition begins in January 2026.
