Investigation of the Status of Drama Education in Public Primary Schools in Kano State

Drama education at the primary school level contributes to cognitive, emotional, and social development in children, yet its implementation in public primary schools in North West Nigeria has been poorly documented. This study investigated the status of drama education in public primary schools in Kano Municipal and Kumbotso Local Government Areas, Kano State, North West Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 120 teachers across 20 schools and observation checklists applied during 10 classroom visits. Interviews with 5 school heads supplemented survey data. Results showed that drama was included in the formal curriculum of only 35 percent of surveyed schools as a standalone subject. Where taught, drama was integrated into English language lessons in 64 percent of cases. Only 28.3 percent of teachers had received any pre-service or in-service training in drama pedagogy. Lack of space for movement-based activities was reported by 71.7 percent as a barrier. Parental concerns about drama as a serious subject were cited by 55 percent of head teachers. Schools with drama activities showed notably higher pupil engagement scores on teacher assessment records. The study concludes that drama education in Kano State public primary schools is significantly underdeveloped. Recommendations include mandatory drama teacher training in Kano State teacher education programmes, curriculum revision to formalise drama as a standalone subject, and parent sensitisation campaigns on the educational benefits of drama.

Keywords: drama education, public primary schools, Kano State, curriculum implementation, arts education