The persistent shortage of teachers in basic schools in Kano State has continued to exacerbate the rate of illiteracy in the region despite substantial public funding for education,
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting in Kano, Franklin Oniya, the Monitoring and Evaluation Lead Coordinator for Partnership for Learning in All Nigeria (PLANE), reported that teacher absenteeism was noted at 8.6 percent, while pupil absenteeism was recorded at 62 percent.
Additionally, critical challenges such as a lack of basic instructional materials, absenteeism among both teachers and students coupled with overcrowded classrooms in government basic schools are raising concerns among authorities, as revealed by a report from the United Kingdom-funded project
The report highlights that approximately 25 percent of the 1,612 primary schools assessed in Kano have only one teacher for all six grades. This results in a teacher-to-pupil ratio of 1:131, which far exceeds UNESCO’s recommended ratio of 1:35 and is double the state’s target of 1:60.
Furthermore, in about 79 percent of classrooms, most children lacked essential supplies such as pencils and exercise books, indicating that over three-quarters of students do not have the materials needed to complete their lessons.
Oniya emphasized the need for the state government to enhance the recruitment of qualified teachers, ensure adequate training for educators, and improve school monitoring and support while providing sufficient learning materials.
Deputy National Leader of PLANE, Sam Achimugu explained that the seven-year program, currently in its second year, is being implemented in Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa states. The program aims to strengthen the education system in these states, particularly focusing on children in Foundational and Accelerated Learning Schools.
He urged the Kano State government to ensure sustainability and foster collaboration among stakeholders to improve the education system
According to Alh. Umar Lawan, the team leader of PLANE’s Kano office, the program emphasizes literacy and mathematics and is being implemented in 1,112 primary schools across 11 local government areas, with an enrollment of 265,011 pupils.
In her words, the Board Secretary of the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hajia Amina Garba commended PLANE’s efforts to improve the quality of education in Kano. She also highlighted the recent declaration of a state of emergency in education to address the challenges facing the sector and assured that the government would maintain its partnership to transform the educational system.
