Factors Influencing Parents’ Choice of Schools for their Children’s Education in Private Primary Schools in District Gilgit

Abstract

The ever increasing number of private school systems in Pakistan has made it challenging for parents to make a choice of school for their children’s education. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics that parents consider important when selecting private schools. An initial factor analysis identified school quality, projected future options, popularity, and proximity as the main factors representing parents’ choice, explaining 67% of the variance. Sampling was conducted at two phases. In the first phase, 20 schools were randomly selected from 204 private primary schools in District Gilgit. In the second phase, five parents were randomly chosen from each school, resulting in a total sample size of 100 parents. The findings showed that parents' preferences were primarily influenced by the school quality, followed by projected future options, school popularity, and school proximity, in that order. No statistically significant association was found between parent income and qualification. Parents’ rating of various factors highlights factors highlight the key influences on their preferences. The high importance placed on school suggests that both public and private schools may need to revisit their policies and reassess their priorities.