The Effect of Private Educational Investment on Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Nyamasheke District, Rwanda

Abstract

In Indonesia, compulsory education faces various major educational issues such as financing, poor academic results, shortage of teachers both in rural and urban areas. In Rwanda, as the target year of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) approaches, non-traditional forms of aid modalities such as general budget support are progressively tested and used in providing aid. This study determined the effects of private educational investment on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Nyamasheke District, Rwanda. The study employed a convergent parallel design, in which quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. The sample size was 381 respondents. The data collection instruments were a questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, a documentary review and a focus group discussion. Descriptive and linear regression analysis were used in the analysis of quantitative data, and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The findings revealed that private education investment reveals a relatively narrow range in the amount being spent, with a mean investment of 58,000 Rwf, a minimum of 51,500 Rwf, and a maximum of 64,500 Rwf. It was also noted that private education investment for male and female students in the Nyamasheke district reveals a gender-based difference in financial commitment. This led to the decline in Performance in both sections, lower and upper secondary, showing a decline in the mean scores over the years, with the sharpest drop occurring in 2023/2024. The study concludes that there is a significant burden on some households of low socio-economic status to educate their children due to the financial investment required. The study recommends that the government or the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) should increase the number of schools and have local schools to reduce the transport cost incurred by the household, as well as the cost of education.