School Choice: Between Prestige and Affordability

I became interested in the intricacies of school choice a few years ago, when I began to closely observe household decision trends, with respect to school transitions in my local community. I started by interviewing parents who had children in the basic education age brackets.

A considerable majority were concerned that the cognitive achievements of their young children were not at par with those of children from comparator schools. Many were willing to pay additional fees to get their wards enrolled in high-performing prestigious schools even though they were farther away from their homesteads. Low-income households tend to patronise and may prefer low-cost private schools to overcrowded and dilapidated public schools.

Even though school ads and bill boards may attract some business, prospective clients utilise self-driven fact finding missions. Many engage members of their social and business networks to obtain firsthand school testimonials. For many parents of preschoolers, schools with small class sizes are preferred to schools with large class sizes.

An interesting distinction between parents who may patronise public schools and private schools, is the extent of monitoring and availability for daily school commute. Whereas many public school pupils find their way to school unaccompanied and via public transportation, private school attendees are more likely to be accompanied to school by guardians or placed on a school bus programme.

At the higher education level of schooling, many upper-class and middle-class parents may be more concerned about school prestige,   certainty of school calenders and employability prospects than households with meagre income. Without scholarships, children of the poor are more likely to get enrolled in public institutions; most of which are adversely affected by lengthy industrial disputes and action of union workers.

Even though some households may finance children's education using debt options, equity financing and household income streams may constitute some of the most important determinants of school choice in suburbs of Nigeria.

There is a huge research potential in the area of school choice in Nigeria, this may include studies on the important role of parents or guardians in learning and cognitive development. 

On policy aspects, we can work to ensure uniformity in the quality of both private and public schools, for the good of all. The Finnish and Israeli systems of education can guide the path towards designing equitable systems of education service delivery.