Education Funding and Sustainable Development Goals in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Akwaibom State of Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between education funding and sustainable development goals in public senior secondary schools in AkwaIbom State. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted the correlational design, using 142 school principals determined through multi-stage procedure and simple random sampling technique as sample from the population of 251 principals of the 251 public senior secondary schools. The instruments for data collection were Education Funding Scale (EFS) and Sustainable Development Goals Scale (SDGS) which were validated by educational experts with reliability coefficients of 0.91 and 0.89 respectively, determined through Cronbach’s Alpha Statistics. Research questions were answered with Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (r) while hypotheses were tested with corresponding test of significance of correlational coefficient (r) with special zr-test at 0.05 level of significance and at 140 degree of freedom for two-tail test. The findings of the study revealed a positive and high relationship between government sector education funding and sustainable development goals, and private sector education funding and sustainable development goals. There is a high and positive relationship between education funding and sustainable development goals in public senior secondary schools in AkwaIbom State. Thus, funding enhances sustainable development goals. Based on the findings, the study recommended that, the government of AkwaIbom State should increase its budgetary provision for the education sector in order to match its words with actions and sustain the current high relationship between the variables of study. The private sector should always partner with the government in the funding of public secondary schools for an increased and sustained development in the sector and to maintain the current high tempo between the variables of study.