Grade 9 learners eyeing STEM have until September 11, 2026, to settle on their subject combinations and preferred senior schools as the Ministry of Education prepares for the first transition to Grade 10 under the new system.
The Grade 10 selection exercise opened on August 24, 2026, through the Ministry’s Selection and Placement System, where learners are required to indicate their preferred pathway, three elective subjects and senior schools.
The choices are preferences, not confirmed admissions. After the window closes, the Ministry will undertake placement based on the selections submitted, school capacity and the subject combinations available at individual institutions. The service is free.
For parents considering STEM, the school selected is only part of the decision. The subjects offered by that school need to match the learner’s intended course after Grade 12.
STEM is one of three senior-school pathways, alongside Social Sciences and Arts and Sports Science.
About 59 per cent of Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment candidates showed potential for STEM. The figure has contributed to the strong interest in the pathway, which covers science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related areas.
Learners will take seven subjects in senior school. Four are compulsory — English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics and Community Service Learning — while three are electives selected from the chosen pathway.
STEM learners are generally expected to take Core Mathematics.
Among the STEM combinations cited in published guidance are Core Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry; Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry; Biology, Chemistry and Computer Studies; and Core Mathematics, Chemistry and Computer Studies.
Core Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry is linked to medicine-related routes, while Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry supports engineering and physical sciences.
Public national schools, now generally classified as Cluster 1 or C1 senior schools, are among the institutions expected to offer STEM. Education officials have said national schools should provide STEM and, in many cases, all three pathways because of their staffing and laboratory capacity.
Published lists of public national schools offering STEM include several boys’ and girls’ institutions.
Among the boys’ schools are Alliance High School and Mang’u High School in Kiambu, Nairobi School, Lenana School, Starehe Boys’ Centre, Kakamega School, Maseno School, Kapsabet Boys, Maranda High School, Kangaru School, Nyeri High School, Kagumo High School, Friends School Kamusinga, St Mary’s Kibabii and Moi Forces Academy.
Girls’ schools appearing on published lists include Alliance Girls’ High School in Kiambu, The Kenya High School in Nairobi, Maryhill Girls, Pangani Girls, Moi Girls Eldoret, Loreto Limuru, Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls, Precious Blood Riruta and Lugulu Girls.
Kiambu, Nairobi and Nakuru are among the counties with the highest number of C1 schools in published counts, giving families in those areas more institutions to consider.
However, being a national or C1 school does not guarantee that every STEM combination is offered. The availability of a specific subject package varies from one school to another.
Parents should therefore settle on the learner’s preferred STEM subjects before settling on a school.
The selection portal, selection.education.go.ke, provides the current information on pathways and subject combinations declared by individual schools. Families should confirm that the preferred school offers all three electives required before listing it among their choices.
They should also check whether the school is a boarding or day institution and consider its location.
After making the selections, parents should review the details with the learner before submitting them and download the confirmation slip.
The “My Selections” feature can be used with the learner’s assessment number to confirm that the choices have been saved.
Any missing selections or NEMIS/KEMIS and portal-related problems should be raised with the junior school or Ministry support teams before September 11, 2026.
The school names above come from published education reports and are not a Ministry gazette listing every STEM combination. The portal remains the final point of reference for the exact subjects available at each school.
Once the selection window closes, placement will follow. A preferred national school therefore remains a preference until the Ministry completes the placement process.
FL

© Copyright 2026 Mediamax Network Limited