5th-Mar-2026 | 2.0 mins read
CBE Or 8-4-4 Reloaded? A Hard Question We Must Ask
There has been considerable discussion around Competency-Based Education (CBE) and the transition to Grade 10. In parts of the press, and in reality, a troubling contrast has emerged: some schools are oversubscribed, while others are edging toward closure.The 8-4-4 system was largely merit-based and focused heavily on grades rather than the personality, interests, or strengths of the learner. Learners were graded A to F and placed into National, Extra-County, County, or Sub-County schools. Those who made it to National schools were celebrated as “heroes,” while others were quietly labelled as “the rest.” The stakes were so high that parents, teachers, and schools would sometimes go to extreme lengths, including exam malpractice, to secure these placements.
Then came CBE.
The reforms recognised an important truth: education should not merely produce exam scores, but well-rounded human beings. By embedding learners’ interests, abilities, and personalities into the system, CBE aimed to nurture citizens who are academically capable, socially adaptable, innovative, and employable. This shift meant that nurturing a learner’s potential was no longer the sole responsibility of schools; it became a shared national responsibility involving parents, communities, and institutions.
To their credit, schools and parents have made genuine efforts, often under difficult conditions of limited resources, uncertainty, and constant change.
However, a recent comment in an education WhatsApp group made me pause. A parent shared that during a class academic meeting, they reviewed KPSEA and KJSEA results, mean scores, and lists of C1 schools where learners had been admitted—then adopted the same strategies, with a few add-ons.
This raises an uncomfortable question: are we slowly reverting to the 8-4-4 mindset?
Under the new categorisation, C1 schools resemble the old National schools, C2 mirror Extra-County schools, C3 County schools, and C4 Sub-County schools. In effect, the old hierarchy seems to have been reintroduced, only with new labels.
If the true aim of CBE is to nurture every learner’s talent, why should placement still be driven by status rather than suitability? A learner gifted in sports, for example, should be placed in an environment with strong facilities, qualified coaches, and supportive structures; not simply a “top tier” school.
CBE challenges us to rethink success itself. Not every learner needs the top school. Every learner needs the right school. Perhaps the real question is not which school is best, but which environment will help this learner thrive.