PARENTAL DECISION-MAKING IN SCHOOL SELECTION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL PREFERENCES

Abstract

Education stand as one of the most vital aspects of our lives. In Pakistan, the education system is supported by a combination of public and private educational institutions. It serves as cornerstone for a country’s socioeconomic advancement. Education helps to enhance human capabilities as not all skills are innate. The desire of almost all parents is to offer their children the highest quality education possible, leading them to carefully select the best schools available in the vicinity. The objective of the study is to find out the factors that encourage parents to choose school and to compare these factors among public and private school. The study was conducted in the city of Faisalabad, and all the parents of students in public and private primary schools in the city of Faisalabad were considered as the population of the study. Total 120 parents has been selected through proportionately to collect data of 60 parents from public school and 60 parents from the private school randomly to complete the sample size. The data was collected through well-structured questionnaire. Then the collected data was analyzed through statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) and t-test was applied to compare the factors influence parental choice among public and private school. The result showed that parents' satisfaction with public and private schools is subjective and dependent on a variety of factors. While some parents may find public schools to be the best fit for their child's needs and preferences, others may prefer the advantages offered by private schools. Ultimately, parents' satisfaction levels are influenced by their individual circumstances and the extent to which their chosen school meets their expectations and aspirations for their child's education. Parents who are looking for a controlled and encouraging environment find that public schools are good at upholding discipline and improving student performance and creativity.