A logit model approach to the examination of parents’ willingness to contribute towards the cost of senior high school education: The case of parents in Tamale, Ghana

Abstract

The Free Senior High School policy introduced in Ghana has helped to enhance access resulting in significant increases in enrolment and other improvements such as early reporting at schools by students, sufficient provision of schoolbooks, distribution of school outfits and improved feeding menu. There are also challenges ranging from inadequate and delayed funding to poor and insufficient supplies, with most facilities being either absent or in poor shape, mainly because of heavy financial burden the policy puts on government. These resulted in calls on government by stakeholders and other watchers of the sector for a review of the policy that will allow parents to make some contributions towards their wards' senior high school education. This study sought to examine the willingness of parents to contribute towards the senior high school education of their wards amidst the current Free Senior High School policy in Ghana; to help make a research-based input into the discussion using a logit model approach; and to also create a basis for comparison in future studies. Responses from some 467 parents of students in Senior and Junior High Schools in the Tamale township; purposively and randomly selected were analysed. Respondents were made up of more females than males who were predominantly either employed or self-employed with about 69% having a formal education of a sort. The study observed that majority of respondents expressed their willingness to contribute towards their wards’ senior high school education; largely towards the feeding component of the cost, and that a review that will cover the forementioned will not be out of place since it is anticipated, and parents are willing to contribute in that direction. It was also observed that the logit model was an appropriate statistical approach in performing the analysis of the study data with a categorical and dichotomous response variable. A mean willingness to contribute amount was also estimated as GH₵450.70. The study recommends a review that will allow parents whose wards have boarding status to at least pay for the boarding component including feeding.