Disparities in Educational Material Allocation and Utilization between Urban and Rural Schools in Cameroon

Ensuring equitable access to educational materials remains an important concern for public secondary schools in Cameroon. This study examined how instructional resources were allocated and utilised in urban and rural public secondary schools in the North West Region, with particular attention to perceived adequacy, practical use and barriers to access. A comparative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 286 principals, vice-principals and teachers selected through multistage sampling, with equal numbers of respondents from urban and rural schools (143 each). Data were obtained using a structured questionnaire supported by documentary analysis and assessed using descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests at the .05 significance level. Respondents from urban schools reported more favourable allocation scores (M = 3.04) than respondents from rural schools (M = 2.58). The corresponding utilisation scores were 3.47 and 3.12, respectively, indicating greater reported use in urban schools. Across the sample, inadequate funding (M = 4.28), insufficient material quantities (M = 4.21), high costs (M = 4.12), distribution delays (M = 4.06) and poor transport infrastructure (M = 4.02) were the most highly rated challenges. Rural respondents also reported greater geographical, logistical, storage and maintenance difficulties. The findings point to uneven access and use between school locations and support consideration of needs-based allocation, improved distribution arrangements, strengthened school-level resource management and targeted support for rural institutions. These conclusions concern reported resource conditions rather than measured learning outcomes.