Insecurity and Teaching-Learning Outcomes in Universal Basic Education Primary Schools: Evidence from Kagarko Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Insecurity has become a significant threat to the effective delivery of basic education in Nigeria, particularly in communities affected by banditry, kidnapping, armed attacks, and communal violence. This study examined the influence of insecurity on teaching-learning outcomes in Universal Basic Education primary schools in Kagarko Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Specifically, it investigated the effects of insecurity on pupils’ academic performance and school attendance and identified strategies for reducing its adverse effects. The study adopted a qualitative documentary research design and relied on secondary data obtained from government publications, policy documents, institutional reports, international organisations, and peer-reviewed journal articles. The selected documents were analysed using qualitative content analysis and organised according to the study’s major themes. The findings revealed that insecurity negatively affects pupils’ academic performance by reducing instructional time, disrupting curriculum coverage, weakening concentration, and creating fear within the learning environment. It also reduces school attendance as parents may prevent their children from attending school because of kidnapping, attacks, unsafe travel routes, and instability within surrounding communities. Consequently, insecurity undermines the implementation of Universal Basic Education by limiting regular participation and disrupting stable teaching and learning conditions. The study concludes that ensuring school safety is essential for achieving the objectives of free and compulsory basic education. It recommends strengthening school security, implementing the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools, improving community participation, providing psychosocial support, protecting routes to school, establishing emergency response systems, and adopting flexible learning arrangements during periods of disruption.