Management of School-Community Relations in Promoting Primary Education in Adamawa State

This study examines management strategies for school-community relations and their effectiveness in promoting primary education in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria. Schools that build and sustain meaningful relationships with surrounding communities tend to achieve higher enrolment, better pupil attendance, and greater resource mobilisation, particularly in semi-urban and rural contexts. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, targeting 250 headteachers, teachers, and community development committee representatives from primary schools in Yola North, Mubi South, and Lamurde local government areas. Data were collected using a school-community relations management scale and a primary education outcomes index. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were applied. The study is grounded in Epstein's School, Family, and Community Partnerships Framework and Social Capital Theory. It examines communication strategies, parent and community involvement in school events and committees, resource mobilisation from local businesses and traditional institutions, and the role of community conflict resolution in school sustainability. Findings are anticipated to show that schools with proactive and structured community engagement strategies report better enrolment, attendance, and physical environment quality. The moderating role of headteacher communication skills is also examined. Recommendations target the Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board and local government education authorities on capacity building for headteachers in community engagement management. The study contributes applied management evidence for improving school-community partnerships in North East Nigeria. Keywords: school-community relations, primary education, Adamawa State, community engagement, school management