Spatial patterns and accessibility of public primary school: Implications for urban education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/ajcsee.v3i2.2026.2266Keywords:
geographic information system (GIS), nearest neighbor analysis, public primary schools, spatial distributionAbstract
Background: Universal primary education is key to sustainable development, yet there are significant spatial disparities in the rapidly urbanizing areas of northern Nigeria. This study investigates the availability and accessibility of public primary schools in Tarauni Local Government Area, Kano State, where population expansion has surpassed planning for educational facilities. Literature highlights Geographic Information System (GIS) as instrumental in revealing gaps in services, yet ward-level analysis is limited despite its importance for localized policy intervention. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates primary GPS data of all public primary schools with secondary data like satellite imagery, administrative boundaries, and gender-disaggregated enrollment data from local education offices. Spatial analytical techniques applied include Nearest Neighbor Ratio (NNR) calculations for distribution patterns, choropleth mapping for ward-level visualization, and demographic analysis of enrollment disparities. Findings: The study unveils stark spatial inequalities in the distribution of Tarauni's 19 public primary schools across ten wards. Two wards, Tarauni and Gyadi-Gyadi Arewa, are absolute "educational deserts" lacking any schools despite high population density. Statistical analysis confirms significant clustering (NNR=1.39, z-score=3.25, p=0.001), indicating non-random distribution in favor of central wards. In addition, gender disparities show boys constituting 52% of the enrollments compared to 48% for girls, reflecting socio-cultural barriers. Conclusion: Findings indicate urgent need for targeted infrastructure investment in disadvantaged wards and gender-sensitive policy to improve enrollment equity. GIS is demonstrated to be highly effective for planning precise locations of new schools and optimizing resource distribution. While limited by unavailability of travel route data, the study presents a replicable model for education planning in similar contexts. Novelty/Originality of this article: This research performs the inaugural spatial-statistical integration of primary schools at the ward scale in Tarauni, introducing the "educational desert" concept to local education planning and combining spatial pattern analysis and gender-disaggregated enrollment analysis to make comprehensive policy suggestions for educational equity in urban Nigeria.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sani Inuwa Sani, Adi Wibowo, Karimatu Umar, Aisha Abdullahi, Aliyu Sulaiman Dan Hassan, Salamatu Surajo
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