Left Behind: How Teacher Shortages and Poor Infrastructure Hinder Learning in Rural Kano
In the rural community of Tsakuwa, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, Kano State, education is in shambles. Since the state government rolled up its sleeves to revive the education sector, the attention given to the rural communities of Tsakuwa has been scant. Serious shortages in teachers, along with poor school infrastructure, especially a lack of […]
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In the rural community of Tsakuwa, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, Kano State, education is in shambles. Since the state government rolled up its sleeves to revive the education sector, the attention given to the rural communities of Tsakuwa has been scant.
Serious shortages in teachers, along with poor school infrastructure, especially a lack of decent toilets have significantly impaired students’ learning capability.
A Community Struggling to Educate Its Children
With a population of over 23,000, mainly farmers and traders, schools in Tsakuwa are overflowing. For instance, the student population of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Tsakuwa, is nearly 800 with only eight government-employed teachers.
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Inadequate staffing has left many subjects untaught for weeks, while overburdened teachers struggle to manage large classrooms.
The infrastructure is no less worrisome. Most of the students sit on the floor due to a lack of desks and chairs; toilet facilities are either lacking or non-existent, and this especially makes it hard for girls to continue going to school.
“Our daughters usually go back home because there are no proper toilets,” said Sani Bala, a concerned parent.
“Some end up missing classes altogether because of this problem.”
Despite repeated appeals, the government’s response is painfully slow, so the community has to take charge on its own.
Tsakuwa Mufarka Initiative: A Community-Led Solution
Determined to ensure their children receive an education, Tsakuwa residents established the Tsakuwa Mufarka Initiative, a community-led association with the sole purpose of finding a solution to the shortage of teachers.
Led by Abdullahi Yusuf Wagari, the initiative has since employed 20 volunteer teachers and one security officer, each paid ₦10,000 monthly from contributions within the community.
“Our community cannot afford to wait for the government,” explained Wagari.
“Education is a must and we have taken it upon ourselves to ensure that our children are not left behind.”
The schools include nine which the volunteers work across at primary, junior and senior secondary levels:
- Central Primary School
- Alhaji Danjummai Special Primary School
- Model Primary School
- Zinatul Islamiyya Primary School
- Upper Basic School, Male
- Upper Basic School, Female
- Upper Basic School and Islamiyya Co-exist
- Government Girls Arabic Secondary School
- Government Secondary School Tsakuwa
Teachers Making Sacrifices
The underpaid volunteers are determined to contribute positively.
“These children are our future,” said Ibrahim Alhaji Hamisu, a volunteer teacher at GGSS Tsakuwa.
“If we don’t take the mantle, who would?”
Equally, Abdullahi Danladi, an undergraduate at Bayero University Kano, is teaching mathematics at a poor pay.
“Even if I weren’t being paid, I will do this.”
Women also participated in the scheme. Fatima Auwal Idris, a volunteer teacher paid N5 000 monthly, said, “I took up this work because I wanted to assist. The government has not provided adequate teachers so we had to step in.”
But it is a laudable commitment nonetheless; the bigger problem lies in the shortage of professional teachers.
Without professional teachers to teach subjects like math and science, students are at a perpetual disadvantage. Parents pull their children out of schools in droves.
Government Efforts and Rural Neglect
The Kano State government has taken the education sector seriously by declaring a state of emergency in the sector.
Programs are being implemented in the Kano 2024 Education Sector AOP, which are aimed at improving school infrastructure, provision of instructional materials, and employing more teachers.
Hundreds of classrooms are under renovation, as well as the provision of desks and chairs to urban schools.
More specifically, KSDP III seeks to ensure an improvement in girl-child education by ensuring a more inclusive learning environment.
But rural communities like Tsakuwa have been left behind. Scores of schools in remote areas still run without enough teachers, proper infrastructure, or basic sanitation.
“We appreciate the government’s efforts in urban areas,” said Salisu Idris, a parent.
“But they must remember that rural children deserve quality education too.”
How GRESP Can Bridge the Gap
Experts argue that the integration of Gender-Responsive Education Sector Planning into the Kano Education Sector Plan would be one sure way to address the rural education crisis.
The GRESP has an emphasis on gender-sensitive solutions, including:
- Recruiting more female teachers to encourage girls to stay in school.
- Improving school infrastructure, particularly toilets and classrooms, to create an enabling learning environment.
- Engaging community leaders to change cultural norms and promote education for all.
Amina Kassim, Gender Coordinator at the Ministry of Education, pointed out that programs such as the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) have zeroed in on scholarships and school buildings. But rural communities like Tsakuwa need more focused interventions.
“If fully implemented in Kano’s education strategy, GRESP can help solve these chronic problems,” she said.
A Call for Sustainable Action
While the efforts of the community in Tsakuwa are admirable, they are, at best, stopgap measures.
Volunteers cannot prop up the education system without adequate funding, training, and support from the government.
“Education is a basic right, not a privilege,” said Wagari.
“We need the government to come in and make the changes permanent.”
The state government in Kano has made some meaningful efforts toward the revival of education; however, without a concerted effort at the rural schools, thousands of children will continue to be at the receiving end of unequal education.
Introducing GRESP into the education plan for the state might just be the antidote to ensure no child is left behind.