Kaduna School Census Exposes Teacher Shortages, Overcrowded Classrooms as 187,719 Children Remain Out of School
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Kaduna State’s latest education data has exposed severe shortages of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, poor water and sanitation facilities, and limited access to technical education, even as the state recorded a significant reduction in the number of out-of-school children to 187,719.
The findings are contained in the 2025/2026 Annual School Census (ASC) and the 2026 Out-of-School Children Mapping Report, unveiled on Thursday by the Kaduna State Government.
The reports show that while the state achieved near-total coverage in the school census, the education system remains under immense pressure, with a primary school pupil-teacher ratio of 92:1, far above acceptable standards, and a pupil-classroom ratio of 113:1, underscoring widespread overcrowding.
The census also revealed that 55 per cent of public primary schools lack access to safe water, while 5,705 classrooms are unusable, posing major challenges to quality teaching and learning.
Among the worst-hit areas, Kubau LGA emerged as a major concern, recording an alarming 398 pupils per teacher in junior secondary schools, while Birnin Gwari posted a primary school pupil-teacher ratio of 227:1. Makarfi and Kubau also ranked among the most overcrowded local government areas.
Despite these challenges, the census recorded strong participation, with 99.4 per cent of public primary schools, 99.3 per cent of senior secondary schools, and 100 per cent of private schools responding, providing one of the most comprehensive education databases in the state’s history.
The data further showed that Kaduna’s public schools currently enrol over 2.57 million learners, including 266,993 in pre-primary education, 1.83 million in primary schools, 282,125 in junior secondary schools and 191,802 in senior secondary schools. Private schools account for hundreds of thousands of additional enrolments.
However, enrolment steadily declines from Primary One through Primary Six and from SS1 to SS3, highlighting persistent dropout and poor transition rates across the education cycle.
Teacher shortages also remain a critical concern. Of the 22,720 public pre-primary and primary teachers, only 77 per cent are qualified. Qualification rates are lower in junior secondary schools, where only 73 per cent of teachers meet the required standards.
The report equally highlighted gender disparities in the teaching workforce, with female teachers remaining significantly underrepresented in several rural local government areas.
Technical and vocational education also remains grossly inadequate. Kaduna has only 16 Science and Technical (TVET) institutions serving just nine of its 23 local government areas, leaving 14 LGAs without any technical or vocational school.
Similarly, non-formal education opportunities remain extremely limited, with only three IQS centres, all located in Kubau Local Government Area.
Speaking at the dissemination of the reports, Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe said the findings would serve as a blueprint for government interventions, including school construction, rehabilitation, teacher recruitment and deployment, school feeding and targeted support for vulnerable households.
She disclosed that the number of out-of-school children in Kaduna has dropped from well over half a million at the beginning of the current administration to 187,719, attributing the progress to sustained investments in education.
According to the Out-of-School Children Mapping Report, 65 per cent of children who are not in school are between six and eleven years, while 91 per cent of affected households cited poverty as the major reason children remain outside the classroom.
The report also identified Kaduna North Senatorial Zone as the epicentre of the crisis, accounting for 51 per cent of all out-of-school children, with Kubau Local Government Area recording the highest number.
Dr. Balarabe said the state would use the data to prioritise interventions in Kubau, Giwa, Makarfi, Soba, Igabi and other underserved communities, while sustaining education investments that already account for 25 per cent of the state’s 2026 budget.
Also speaking, UNICEF Kaduna Chief of Field Office, Dr. Gerida Birukila, described the digitised school census as a landmark achievement that places Kaduna among Nigeria’s leading states in education data management.
She urged the government to ensure that the data is translated into policies, budgets and investments that improve teacher deployment, infrastructure, school management and learning outcomes.
The event also recognised the contributions of key education partners, including UNICEF, the Islamic Development Bank, Save the Children International, the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Project, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, for supporting Kaduna State’s drive to expand access to inclusive and quality education.
