Beyond perceived affordability: Examining the relationship between private school fees, household income, and pre-primary school learners' enrollment in urban Nigeria

This study investigated the relationship between private preschool fees and household income on pre-primary school enrollment rates in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State. The study sampled 200 parents across five public primary schools with pre-primary sections (n = 100) and five registered private preschools (n = 100). Data were collected using two standardized instruments: the Questionnaire on Parents’ Socio-Economic Factors (QPSEF) and the Parents’ Questionnaire on the Influence of Household Income and Private School Fees on Pupils’ Enrollment (PQIHIPCPE), with Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients of 0.81 and 0.86, respectively. Data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics (weighted means) and inferential statistics (Pearson Product Moment Correlation, Multiple Regression, and Independent Samples t-test). Descriptive results revealed that parents perceived the extent of influence of private school fees (WA = 3.50) and household income (WA = 2.90) on pre-primary enrollment to be high. However, inferential analysis demonstrated no statistically significant relative contribution of private school fees (β = -0.025, t = -0.211, p > 0.05) or household income (β = -0.092, t = -0.761, p > 0.05) to enrollment rates. Furthermore, there was no significant joint contribution of both independent variables (F(2, 197) = 0.319, p > 0.05, R2 = 0.009), no significant relationship between private school fees and enrollment (r = -0.030, p > 0.05), no significant relationship between household income and enrollment (r = -0.090, p > 0.05), and no significant difference in enrollment impacts based on fee structures (t(198) = 0.842, p > 0.05). The study concluded that while parents perceive financial factors as significant considerations, empirical enrollment rates in the study area operate independently of private fee structures and household income limits. Recommendations include establishing state-level quality monitoring standards and expanding public-private support frameworks for early childhood centers.