Hundreds of pupils at Kauyan Mai Unguwa Primary School in Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano State have dropped out after a devastating rainstorm destroyed key parts of the school nearly a decade ago, worsening the state’s already alarming out-of-school children crisis.
Those still enrolled now study in roofless classrooms exposed to scorching heat, rainfall, and reptiles, with many pupils forced to end lessons early or stay home entirely during the rainy season.
A visit to the rural school revealed three classroom blocks without roofs, cracked walls, and learning spaces overtaken by lizards and other reptiles.
Even newer structures constructed in 2022 have already begun to deteriorate after subsequent storms damaged parts of their roofs.
For many children in the community, the school's poor condition has become a reason to abandon education altogether.
“I stopped going to school because we usually see lizards and sometimes snakes inside the classroom,” said Bello Ibrahim, a young boy seen rolling a tyre through the dusty streets of the community during school hours.
Like many children in Kauyan Mai Unguwa, Bello now spends most of his day playing around the village instead of sitting in a classroom.
Seven-year-old Sadiq Auwali has also stopped attending school. Despite dreaming of becoming an engineer, he said the harsh learning conditions discouraged him from continuing.
“I want to become an engineer in the future, but the school is not good for us,” he said quietly.
But not every child has given up. Safarawa Nura, a Primary 6 student, still attends classes despite the conditions, though she fears that her ambition to become a medical doctor may never materialise if the school remains neglected.
“When the sun becomes too much, or rain starts falling, we stop lessons and go home,” she said. “Sometimes we cannot even concentrate because of the heat.”
Community members say the destruction caused by the rainstorm has persisted for years, despite little government intervention, forcing pupils and teachers to endure unsafe learning conditions.
An old student of the school, Abdulrashid Nasiru Hasan, says enrolment in the school has dropped sharply over the years as many parents withdraw their children.
“The number of teachers has also reduced from 12 to seven, worsening the pressure on the remaining staff.”
Another Primary 6 pupil, Siyama Jamilu, appealed to the Kano State Government to urgently rehabilitate the school before more children abandon education.
“I want the government to help repair our classrooms so we can learn well like other children,” She said.
Parents in the community say they are trapped between poverty and the absence of alternatives.
Sani Umar, a parent with six children in school
Sani Umar, who has six children in the school, said he continues sending them despite the risks because he cannot afford private education or transportation to distant schools.
“We have no other option,” he said. “If the rainy season starts fully, my children may stop going to school because there is no shelter.”
Nigeria currently has about 18.5 million out-of-school children, according to UNICEF, with Kano State accounting for between 900,000 and one million — the highest figure in the North-west region.
Education advocates warn that poor infrastructure, insecurity, poverty, and inadequate funding continue to push more children out of classrooms, particularly in rural communities.
Frustrated by years of waiting for intervention, residents of Kauyan Mai Unguwa say they have resorted to self-help measures to keep the school running.
The Chairperson of the Kauyan Mai Unguwa Development Association, Atiku Sulaiman, said community members improvised temporary structures using sticks to provide minimal shade for pupils.
Atiku Sulaiman, chairperson of Kauyan Mai Unguwa Development Association
“We could not continue waiting while the children suffered,” he said. “That is why we used sticks and other local materials so they can at least sit and learn.”
However, he said the makeshift efforts are far from sufficient and appealed to authorities to intervene urgently.
The Ward Head of Kauyan Mai Unguwa, Garba Alhassan, described the situation as critical, warning that continued neglect could permanently damage the future of many children in the community.
“This situation is very serious,” he said. “If urgent action is not taken, more children will leave school, and their future will be affected.”
Responding to the concerns, the Kano State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda, said the government has budgeted over N40 billion for the rehabilitation of schools across the state.
Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda, Kano State Commissioner for Education
He also said 7,688 teachers had been recruited to address staffing shortages in primary and junior secondary schools.
“We are working to improve learning conditions and ensure schools across the state are rehabilitated,” the commissioner said.
Despite the assurances, residents remain cautious, noting that promises have been made before, but the school continues to deteriorate.
For now, pupils at Kauyan Mai Unguwa Primary School continue learning under difficult conditions, uncertain whether help will arrive before another rainy season worsens the damage.
Stakeholders say that, beyond promises, what the community urgently needs is sustained action to rebuild safe classrooms, improve learning conditions, and prevent more children from joining the growing population of out-of-school children in Kano State.
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