SECTOR-BASED DISPARITIES IN SCHOOL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: EVIDENCE FROM PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

For precondition for student achievement, a safe, well-resourced and emotionally supportive learning environment is necessary. Contribution of Public and private sector schools are commonly different on the provision of learning environment, though the assumption is rarely tested directly. In this study contribution of public and private sector schools is compared for learning environment of students across three districts of Punjab, Pakistan. A mixed-method design was used: a structured questionnaire was administered to 216 teachers (108 from public and 108 from private sector schools), and semi-structured interviews were held with 38 heads of the schools. Teachers rated their schools on five indicators of learning environment – supportive climate, infrastructure, physical and emotional well-being, availability of subject specialists, and ongoing professional development. An independent-samples t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the two sectors, t(214) = -4.454, p < .05, with private sector schools (M = 21.49, SD = 3.49) reporting a stronger learning environment than public sector schools (M = 19.12, SD = 4.28). The largest gap between these sectors was found in access to ongoing professional development for teachers and infrastructure that supports learning. The study concludes that the contribution of private sector schools to students’ learning environment is higher than that of public sector schools and recommends targeted policy attention to infrastructure upgrades and continuous professional development in the public sector.