The Influence of Islamic Education on Hausa Literacy Practices in Quranic Schools in Sokoto State

Quranic schools in Sokoto State represent one of the oldest educational institutions in West Africa, and the literacy practices developed in these settings, which involve Arabic script reading, memorisation, and recitation, have complex and under-researched relationships to Hausa vernacular literacy development. This study investigates the influence of Islamic education on Hausa literacy practices in Quranic schools in Sokoto State, examining how Quranic education shapes reading skills, script awareness, and attitudes toward Hausa literacy. A qualitative multiple case study design was employed, conducting in-depth fieldwork in five Quranic schools of varying types across Sokoto North and Tangaza local government areas. Data were gathered through classroom observation, interviews with 20 Malam teachers, and literacy assessments and interviews with 60 senior pupils who had completed or nearly completed the Quran. Findings reveal that advanced Quranic pupils demonstrate sophisticated phonological awareness and decoding skills in Arabic script but show limited transfer of these skills to Roman script Hausa reading, as the transfer of literacy skills across script systems requires explicit pedagogical bridging that is absent in most Quranic schools. However, Quranic education significantly enriches pupils' Hausa formal register through exposure to Islamic Hausa vocabulary and elevated speech styles used in religious contexts. The study argues that Quranic education can serve as a foundation for accelerated Hausa vernacular literacy development if appropriate bridging programmes are provided. Recommendations address development of a Quranic-to-Hausa-Roman-script literacy bridge curriculum. Keywords: Quranic education, Hausa literacy, Sokoto State, Islamic schools, Script literacy.