Secondary schools turn idle CBC classrooms into stores, dormitories

The 10,000 classes constructed in secondary schools under President Uhuru Kenyatta to accommodate Junior school learners under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) are being used to decongest the institutions.

This is a deviation from the original plan envisioned by the government three years ago.

In 2022, the government constructed more than 10,000 classrooms in secondary schools ahead of the transition of learners from primary to junior secondary schools.

“Ministry of Education, jointly with the Ministry of Interior and the National Treasury, shall establish a framework for the construction of the over 10,000 classrooms needed to provide the additional learning space required for the one million new students set to join junior secondary,” said then President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He directed the National Treasury to make available Sh8.1 billion for the project to support the primary to secondary school shift in the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).

However, with the recommendation by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms that Grade 7, 8, and 9 students remain in primary schools, many secondary schools across the country found themselves with surplus classrooms, initially constructed to accommodate junior secondary students.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chairman, Willie Kuria said that the extra classrooms came as a relief to many schools.

“As you know, most of our schools are congested with less infrastructure to accommodate students. The classes have created some space and now schools can sigh a relief,” said Kuria.

Kuria observed that with the 100 percent transition, majority of schools had over-enrolment making it difficult to cope with the large number.

"While some schools found creative ways to improvise space for extra learners, it was still difficult to make them comfortable. Some school principals had been forced to convert every available space, including dining halls into classrooms or dormitories to cope with the numbers,” said Kuria.

In December 2023, former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu announced that students from Nairobi were placed in schools outside of Nairobi due to a shortage of capacity in the city. 

This was due to a large increase in the number of students who took the 2023 KCPE exam.

“A decision was therefore reached to place these candidates in public sub-county secondary schools that were nearest to their former primary schools,” he said.

However, Kuria notes that even with the extra classes left in high schools with the phasing out of Form One admission, schools still need more classes.

“Makeshift classes were not good enough for our learners but with the situation schools had to cope with it. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and schools are working within their unique needs and circumstances,” he stated.

With the government's decision to delay the move of these grades into senior schools, some schools have decided to repurpose the classrooms into workshops for technical and vocational education.

Machakos School principal Benson Manoo said the school has converted some of its newly available classrooms into workshops for courses such as carpentry and electrical engineering.

“We saw this as an opportunity to boost our technical education offerings. We have converted several of the classrooms into workshops for our vocational training programs, providing our students with a more hands-on approach to learning,” said Manoo.

According to Anthony Thuo, principal of Ofafa Jericho High School, though the 100 percent transition was a good initiative, it has put a strain on available resources in many schools.

“Following the surge in student population, we used classes in our neighboring primary school. However, with the construction of the classes we have accommodated the learners there,” he said.

Friends Vihiga High School principal Albert Masiolo reported that the shift has provided an unexpected benefit by alleviating overcrowding in other parts of the school.

“We’ve actually benefited from the additional space. The classrooms intended for junior secondary students have helped reduce the congestion in our senior classes,” said Masiolo.

“Before, we were struggling with overcrowded classrooms. Now, students have more space to learn and engage more effectively."

Other schools have turned the extra classrooms into storage areas, allowing them to free up other spaces that were used for storing supplies.

“Some of the classrooms are now being used as storage spaces for mattresses, students’ boxes and other materials,” said a teacher from Pangani Girls High School.

Another teacher in Makueni said that the school used the extra classrooms as makeshift dormitories to create room for the surging student population.

“We had double intake last year in anticipation of not admitting Form One this year. This stretched our boarding space forcing us to convert the extra classes into dormitories,” she revealed.

Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura addressed the situation on January 20, 2025, saying the government plans to support schools’ infrastructure to support the transition.

"In light of the unexpected developments, the government has committed to constructing an additional 7,000 classrooms in secondary schools across the country," he said.

"This will help us prepare for the smooth integration of Grade 10 students into secondary schools, and ensure that no student is left behind."