School facilities maintenance and students’ academic achievement in government aided secondary schools in Hoima district, Uganda

Abstract

The study aimed at establishing the effect of school facilities‟ maintenance on students‟ academic achievement in government aided secondary schools in Hoima District. Specifically, the study was pursued to; establish the effect of classrooms Maintenance on students‟ academic achievement, examine the extent to which laboratory Maintenance affect students‟ academic achievement and, assess how sanitation Maintenance affect students‟ academic achievement in government aided secondary schools in Hoima District. A cross-sectional survey design was employed using quantitative, qualitative, and comparative approaches. A sample of 290 respondents comprising of the District Education Officer, 7 Headteachers, 82 teachers‟ and 200 students from 10 Government aided schools in Hoima District was drawn using cluster, simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires were administered to teachers and students while interviews were conducted with the DEO and Headteachers as key informants. The responses from the questionnaires were computer coded and analyzed in 23.0 version 23.0 using descriptive statistics and the results were presented in form of percentages and frequencies in tables. The data obtained from interviews was analyzed using content and discourse analysis. From the analyses, it was established that; absence of proper classrooms Maintenance contributes to the low students‟ academic achievement in government aided secondary schools; to a greater extent, laboratory Maintenance affects academic achievement of students in government aided secondary schools; Sanitation Maintenance positively affect students‟ academic achievement in government aided secondary schools in Hoima District. It is recommended that, school stakeholders should put in place Maintenance programs to ensure conducive classroom environment, kempt laboratories and proper sanitation maintenance in schools for children‟s healthy living and learning. School managers should put in place programs to ensure that laboratories are furnished with required equipment, tools, furniture, lighting and safety guards, and schools‟ administrators should prioritize sanitation facilities maintenance in budget allocations to ensure good health and hygiene in the school community.