Assessing the Effects of Supplementary Educational Expenditure on Academic Achievements in Public Secondary Schools: Evidence from Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria

This study assessed the effects of supplementary educational expenditures on academic achievement among public secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, using stratified random sampling to select 300 students from six public secondary schools across various communities in Oredo LGA. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and academic records. Analytical methods included Pearson correlation to examine the relationship between private tutoring expenditure and academic performance, multiple linear regression to evaluate the combined effects of six predictors private tutoring, textbook expenditure, extracurricular spending, parental education level, household income, and student attendance rate and simple linear regression to isolate the impact of extracurricular spending. Results showed a significant positive correlation between private tutoring expenditure and academic achievement (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). The multiple regression model indicated that private tutoring (β = 0.0068, p < 0.001), textbooks and learning materials (β = 0.0039, p = 0.010), parental education (β = 1.80, p = 0.007), household income (β = 0.0004, p = 0.047), and student attendance (β = 0.20, p = 0.005) significantly influenced academic outcomes. Extracurricular spending had a positive but marginally insignificant effect in the multivariate model (β = 0.0025, p = 0.056); however, simple linear regression confirmed its modest yet significant positive impact (β = 0.0032, p = 0.035). In conclusion, supplementary educational spending, especially on private tutoring and learning materials, alongside socio-demographic factors such as parental education and income, substantially enhances student academic achievement. Consistent school attendance also plays a crucial role. The study recommends increased access to affordable tutoring and learning resources, promotion of parental involvement, policies to improve school attendance, and the integration of extracurricular activities to foster holistic development and improve academic outcomes in public secondary schools.