Stakeholders’ Assessment of Fundraising as a Factor of Image Building in Public Secondary Schools in South West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

This study seeks to assess fund raising as a factor of image building in public secondary schools (PSS) in the South West Region of Cameroon by evaluating whether excellence as well as school alumni is been celebrated in the schools with an overall evaluation of fundraising efforts of PSS in the SW region of Cameroon. The study made use of a cross sectional survey of students, teachers and parents of 12 schools in the rural and urban settings in the six divisions of the South West region of Cameroon. 1094 students, 48 teachers and 55 parents completed the survey. Findings reveal that students were significantly (P<0.05) more satisfied with school-alumni relationship in urban areas with a proportion of 44.6% as compared to 24.1% in rural areas. The study further concludes that PSS have not recognised the importance of fundraising for their institutions in both the rural and urban settings as assessed by students (χ2-test: χ2=123.53; df=1; P=0.000) and parents (χ2-test: χ2=37.50; df=1; P=0.000). This finding challenges Pistolis (2012) findings which reveal that schools in affluent neighbourhoods often raise more funds than schools located in lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods which expounds as a direct extension of their private life into the public school system. PSS in the SW region of Cameroon therefore need to recognise fundraising as a development mechanism for their schools. Keywords: fundraising, image building, school community, rural and urban schools, Cameroon