Systems Strengthening
Providing Enough Instructional Time for Children to Learn to Read
Policy Brief
Commencing in October 2015 with support from the USAID, the five-year Northern Education Initiative Plus project (the Initiative) is strengthening the ability of Bauchi and Sokoto states to provide greater access to basic education - especially for girls and out-of-school-children - and to significantly improve reading outcomes for more than two million school-aged children and youth. This policy brief focuses on instructional time and provides recommendations accordingly.
- In Bauchi and Sokoto states, data shows that time on task is much lower than the international standard of between 850 and 1,000 hours of instructional time, with only 630 hours of timetabled instructional time per year, and even less in reality.
- Trainings, visits to the LGEA Secretariat, participation in teacher verification exercises, and the collection of salaries are all factors that feed into the prevalence of teacher absenteeism in Bauchi and Sokoto states.
- Beyond teacher absenteeism, pupil absenteeism must also be considered.
- Instructional time in primary grades at 3.5 hours/day is far below international standards. Combined with long morning/breakfast breaks and other disruptions, the 3.5 hours is likely rarely reached.