Challenges to Educational Continuity for Displaced Children in Dutsin-Ma LGA, Katsina State, Nigeria
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Date
2026-03-01
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Abstract
Ensuring uninterrupted education for all children, particularly those impacted by violence and displacement, is a crucial problem in an era of growing globalization. This study examined the challenges to educational continuity for children displaced by insurgency in Dutsin Ma Local Government Area, Katsina State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was employed. The population was all school-aged children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 60 displaced children who participated in the study. The instrument used for data collection was titled Challenges to Educational Continuity
for Children Displaced by Insurgency Questionnaire (BECCDBIQ), with reliability coefficient of 0.77. Two research questions were answered using frequencies count, percentage and mean while t-test was used to test two hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The result revealed that children displaced by insurgency have challenges to educational continuity. These challenges are
more pronounced on limited access to schools (3.27), psychosocial and emotional challenges (3.18), gender-specific challenges (3.08), inadequate educational resources (3.04), and teacher shortages (2.84). The findings also showed key challenges preventing children from resuming education post-displacement which included family separation (3.05), loss of peer and community
connections (3.00), emotional distress such as anger and fear (3.17), lack of school access in host communities (2.87), and inadequate shelter (2.60). The study revealed no significant gender-based differences in the challenges faced by displaced boys and girls (t=.804; df=58; p>0.05). To support these displaced children, it is recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the
United Nations Children's Fund must develop sustainable policies and programmes that ensure uninterrupted education. Additionally, the Ministry of Education in Katsina State, the Universal Basic Education Commission, and aid organizations are urged to facilitate better access to education, supply necessary learning materials, and offer psychosocial assistance alongside gender-appropriate interventions. The National Emergency Management Agency and local community leaders must work together to reconnect displaced children with their families while guaranteeing their safety within these settings. Furthermore, teachers and school principals
should focus on counseling students, strengthening their academic performance, and implementing interventions that are sensitive to gender issues.
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Keywords
Access to school, Challenges, Educational continuity, Educational resources, Children displaced by insurgency, Internally displaced persons, Insurgency, Psychosocial, Teacher support