The Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), an education programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), has revealed that approximately 25% of primary schools in Kano State have just one teacher handling all six primary grades.
This revelation was made on Thursday during the presentation of findings from the Learning Outcomes Assessment of PLANE-supported LGAs, following two years of intervention in targeted areas of Kano.
According to data from PLANE’s assessment, provided by School Support Officers, the LGAs under review have an average of 131 children per teacher. This ratio is nearly four times higher than the UNESCO-recommended Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 35:1.
“Both teachers and learners demonstrated high levels of absenteeism, and in about 79% of Kano classrooms, most children do not have pencils or exercise books,” the data indicated.
Despite these challenges, the assessment showed significant improvements in literacy and mathematics in schools supported by PLANE across the LGAs.
Joseph Wales, FCDO Education Adviser, spoke at the event, emphasizing the potential of PLANE’s approach to improve learning outcomes despite the challenges. “PLANE and the British Council have demonstrated the potential of these approaches to improve learning outcomes despite significant challenges. Now we must use these as a catalyst for working in partnership at all levels in Kano – community, LGA, and state – to improve education for all,” he said.
Sam Achimugu, Deputy National Team Lead of PLANE, acknowledged the state’s commitment, stating, “The state has been very committed, and PLANE has been engaging closely to ensure that the progress we have made so far is sustained and scaled up. We are working with the government to ensure learners in the state perform better in foundational literacy and numeracy skills, beyond the LGAs where we currently work. However, there are some systemic challenges that stakeholders need to collaboratively address.”
Stakeholders commended PLANE’s efforts, noting the progress made, but also highlighted the overstaffing in metropolitan schools. They suggested that teachers be redeployed to address the shortages in rural areas.
Amina Umar, Board Secretary of the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who represented the SUBEB Chairman, commented, “Most of the issues raised here, from the side of SUBEB, we have started taking actions, and the state government is very committed, as demonstrated through the declaration of a state of emergency in education in the state.”
She also praised the newly elected LGA Chairmen for their participation in the dissemination event, noting, “The LGA Chairmen of the intervening local governments are here, and they have a key role to play because it is within their mandate to appoint competent Education Secretaries so that part of these problems can be solved.”
Mrs. Umar further emphasized the importance of leadership at the school level, saying, “At the school level, there are also issues with leadership. A competent Education Secretary will be able to shun interference and appoint competent head-teachers to manage the schools. That will address the issue of absenteeism and time lost by students not being in school at the right time.”
The event gathered stakeholders from the State Ministry of Education, SUBEB, LGAs, civil society organizations (CSOs), and development partners, including FCDO and the British Council.
In response to the findings, participants agreed on the need to address systemic issues and worked on developing a follow-up strategy to tackle these challenges.
Since its inception, PLANE has reached over one million learners across Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa states with initiatives aimed at strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy skills while improving education delivery. The seven-year programme works with both federal and state governments to enhance learning outcomes.
In Kano State, PLANE’s foundational and accelerated learning initiative has reached 265,011 children across 11 LGAs and 1,112 schools.
