Grade 9 textbooks available in bookshops, says Publishers Association

The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) has assured the public that Grade 9 textbooks are now available in bookshops.

Speaking on Tuesday, January 7, KPA Chairperson Kiarie Kamau stated: "As the Council of Kenya Publishers, we can confirm that Grade 9 textbooks are available in bookshops."

This announcement comes as the first cohort of students under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) transitions into Grade 9 this week.

Kamau further noted that public schools across the country will receive their Grade 9 CBC textbooks on Monday next week, while students in private schools will need to purchase them from bookshops.

Addressing concerns about missing textbooks for Grades 5 to 8, Kamau explained that some of the books are still under review by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

He added that parents and guardians will be notified once the books are ready for publication.

Kamau’s remarks come amid a broader crisis in the education sector, with issues such as a shortage of teachers and inadequate infrastructure raising alarm among stakeholders.

On Saturday last week, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos announced plans to address the teacher shortage by recruiting 76,928 new educators for junior secondary schools.

Of these, 56,928 will be hired on permanent and pensionable terms, while 20,000 will serve as interns. Migos also mentioned ongoing efforts to address the shortage through teacher retooling programs.

Despite these assurances, some education experts, parents, and stakeholders remain skeptical about the smoothness of the transition to junior secondary under the CBC.