Record-Keeping Practices and Administrative Efficiency in Primary Schools in Bauchi State

This study examines the state of record-keeping practices and their implications for administrative efficiency in public primary schools in Bauchi State, North East Nigeria. Effective record-keeping is fundamental to sound school administration, enabling headteachers to track enrolment, attendance, staff performance, and financial transactions accurately. In Bauchi State, anecdotal evidence suggests widespread inadequacies in school record systems, but systematic empirical documentation of these challenges remains limited. The study adopts a descriptive survey design and targets 300 headteachers, teachers, and education officers from 40 primary schools across four local government areas. Data are gathered through a structured questionnaire and a document review checklist, and analysed using frequency counts, percentages, and mean ratings. The study is anchored on the Systems Theory of management. Findings indicate that a majority of schools maintain incomplete or poorly updated records, and that this deficiency is strongly associated with poor planning, resource mismanagement, and delayed processing of teacher promotions and transfers. Training in records management and the digitisation of key administrative functions are identified as critical interventions. The study recommends that the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board incorporate records management modules into its headteacher training curriculum. Keywords: record-keeping, administrative efficiency, school management, basic education, Bauchi State.