DETERMINANTS OF SCHOOL CHOICE: A STUDY ON KHULNA CITY CORPORATION (KCC) AREA OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

This study attempts to sort out the factors influencing school choice decision of parents inKhulna City Corporation (KCC) of Bangladesh. A semi-structured interview schedule, containing twenty-five Likert-type questions on determinants of school choice, was used to collect the data. A total of 150 randomly selected mothers, having at least one school going child, residing at Nirala Residential area of KCC were interviewed. Findings indicate that parental education and income play a decisive role in the decisions of school choice. The education level of children (p<0.000), the size of family (p<0.004) and the number of offspring are evidently influencing the selection of school as well. Moreover, parents’ psychological impression about schools (p<0.000), together with financial aspects (p<0.040), proved to be more pronounced than the schools’ academic reputations and facilities (p<0.065), nevertheless, the aforesaid issues are found to be positively linked with school choice (p<0.018). Parents’ preference for private schools over government schools, especially, for young educands (Class I to Class V), however, suggest their growing dissatisfaction about the quality of education offered by government primary schools. Therefore, to restore parents’ faith in government schools, concerned authorities should value the demands of parents and their children to improve the quality of services in schools and to enhance the efficiency of the teachers to increase academic opportunity, success and social responsibility across the country.