Factors Prompting Parental Choice for Public and Private School Systems (An Ethnographic Study of Schools in Islamabad)

Abstract

About its structural components, historical underpinnings, and current concerns, this study offers a thorough examination of Pakistan's educational system. While discussing how the heritage of British India has impacted the national system of education today, it highlights the importance of learning in both formal and informal settings. The research examined the disparities in parental participation brought about by economic and social circumstances while emphasizing the positive correlation between parental engagement and academic achievement. The research employs a probability sampling technique and is qualitative in character. The methodology placed a strong emphasis on moral dilemmas and the use of ethnography through in-depth fieldwork and interviews in Islamabad. The study describes the elements—such as the social background of the students, the school's location, distance, transportation, infrastructure, school environment, academic performance, teaching quality, and methodology—that have aided the parents in choosing the school. When choosing to enroll their children in private or public schools, it was found that parents base their decision mostly on their social background and income level which was prioritized more than any other factor, then the distance from and location of the school, transportation, academic performance, and school environment were the factors that were looked into after the social and financial factors. Children's choice of school is impacted by social and economic factors, which differ between socioeconomic classes. Middle-class parents strike a balance between social status and financial constraints, while upper-class parents prioritize social status, and lower-class parents are primarily limited by their ability to pay for their children's education.