Teacher Absenteeism and Its Effect on Pupils’ Learning in Public Primary Schools in Zamfara State

This study examines the effect of teacher absenteeism on pupils' learning in public primary schools in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria. Teacher absenteeism is a well-documented challenge in public basic education systems across Nigeria, disrupting instructional continuity and disproportionately affecting pupils in remote rural schools where substitute coverage is unavailable. In Zamfara State, security challenges, poor road networks, and inadequate staff housing have compounded routine absenteeism, raising concerns about learning continuity. A descriptive survey design was employed, with data collected from school attendance registers, head teacher records, and pupil assessment results in 25 primary schools across Gusau, Kaura Namoda, and Talata Mafara local government areas. Teacher absence frequency was computed from termly attendance records, while learning outcomes were measured using Primary Four and Six uniform assessment scores. Data from 500 pupils and 100 teachers were analysed using Pearson correlation and regression. Results reveal a significant negative relationship between teacher absence rates and pupil learning outcomes, with schools recording more than 20 percent teacher absence showing markedly lower average pupil scores. Subject matter coverage gaps caused by absenteeism were identified as the primary mechanism linking absence to poor learning. The study concludes that teacher absenteeism is a serious impediment to learning quality in Zamfara State primary schools. It recommends that the state education board introduce a biometric attendance monitoring system for teachers and implement a rural posting incentive scheme including housing and transport allowances to reduce absence-inducing hardship.

Keywords: teacher absenteeism, pupil learning, primary school, Zamfara State, instructional continuity.