Factors influencing parents’ selection of private and public junior high schools in the Bosomtwe district of the Ashanti Region

Abstract

The study examined the factor influencing parent’s selection of private and public junior high schools in the Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The study used quantitative study approached with a descriptive survey design. Stratified sampling was used in selection ten junior high schools (five private and five public) out of 101 junior high schools while convenient sampling was employed in selection 100 parents for the study. Questionnaires was the instruments used to gather data for the study. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The study showed that parent’ perceive of quality education as one that the school has excellent academic records, discipline, the quality of curriculum run by the school and good facility for extra curriculum activities. Also the study showed that the academic performance in the private junior high school in the Bosomtwe District is better than the public junior high schools. Some of the factors that influenced parent’s in the selection of private junior high school for their wards were that the school regularly keeps parents informed about how their wards are performing academically, the class size and hygienic conditions of the environment. The study recommended that the schools should constantly informed parents about both the academic a progress of the ward, also, the schools and its environment should be kept tidy and the government should employ more teaches in other to control the class size in the public schools.