Pricing Orientation as a Panacea for Effective School Fees Setting in Private Secondary Schools in North-West, Nigeria
*1Wakkala Garba Tumburku, Saheed Oyeniran, Murtala Abdulyaqin Tukur and Osasona Faith Olayinka
*1Department of Education, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Nigeria. Email: wakkalagt@ksusta.edu.ng
2&3Department of Educational Management, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. Email: oyeniran.s@unilorin.edu.ng2 & murtala.at@unilorin.edu.ng3
4Department of Science Education, Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, Kogi State, Nigeria. Email: osasonafaith2020@gmail.com
Abstract
In the dynamic and economically diverse landscape of Northwest Nigeria, private secondary schools face considerable challenges in setting effective and sustainable school fees. This study explores pricing orientation as a strategic framework for enhancing fee-setting practices to improve enrolment, retention, profitability, and institutional sustainability. Drawing on the multidimensional construct of pricing orientation, which includes value-oriented, competition-oriented, cost-oriented, customer-oriented, and demand-oriented pricing, the research investigates how these components can be leveraged to overcome barriers such as fee resistance, dropout rates, and affordability issues among parents. The paper identifies a gap in the application of comprehensive pricing strategies within private secondary education and emphasizes the significance of aligning fee structures with perceived educational value, operational costs, competitive benchmarks, market demand, and parental purchasing power. By integrating these five pricing dimensions, the study argues that private schools can achieve a balanced approach to pricing that ensures both financial viability and equitable access. Ultimately, the research presents pricing orientation not merely as a cost-recovery mechanism, but as a panacea for effective school fee decision-making in the context of market-oriented education systems. The study recommends that Private secondary schools should integrate all five dimensions of pricing orientation, value, competition, cost, customer, and demand-oriented pricing, when setting fees.
Keywords
Pricing Orientation, School Fees, Secondary Schools, North-west
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