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

Abstract

Globally, as per International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED, 2018), basic education comprises primary education (first stage of basic education) and lower secondary (second stage). It also covers a wide variety of non-formal and informal public and private activities intended to meet the basic learning needs of people of all ages. The study examined the impact of public educational investment on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Nyamasheke District, Rwanda. The study employed convergent parallel design, in which quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. The sample size was 381 respondents. The data collection instruments were a questionnaire, semi-structured interview, documentary review and focus group discussion. Descriptive and linear regression analysis were used in the analysis of quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The software of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was used to analyse quantitative responses from questionnaires. The findings revealed that there is positive institutional or organisational effort in supporting teachers' ongoing development, although a small portion of respondents may desire more extensive or targeted initiatives. This was supported by 86.3% of respondents who agreed that the provision of professional development to teachers also shows an overwhelmingly positive response. However, there was an indication of a general trend of decreasing academic performance due to high education investment by households. The study concludes that the government could be better if it increased the amount of money invested in each student per term in public secondary school is too little compared to household educational investment.  The study recommends that schools should have more income-generating activities to reduce the burden on parents and the government. The results revealed that there are gaps associated with parents’ socio-economic status and needs for investing in the education of their children.