Investigating the Influence of Employment Factors on the Decrease of Student Enrollments in Selected Private Higher Learning Institutions in Rwanda

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VII, July 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705

Investigating the Influence of Employment Factors on the Decrease of Student Enrollments in Selected Private Higher Learning Institutions in Rwanda

Cyprien Sikubwabo¹, André Muhirwa², Philothère Ntawiha^3
1 Department of Education, University of Kigali-Rwanda
^2,3University of Rwanda, College of Education-Rwand

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of employment factors on the decrease of student enrollments in selected private higher learning institutions in Rwanda. The study was carried out in 6 private higher learning institutions operating in Rwanda. It adopted the correlation research design and used a sample of 382 informants (370 undergraduate students, 6 academic registrars and 6 marketing officers).The data was collected using a questionnaire and was analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (simple linear regression). The findings revealed that generally, employment factors have no significant influence on the decrease of student enrollments in private higher learning in Rwanda. However, it was found that factors related to job availability have a significant influence on decrease of student enrollments in private higher learning institutions in Rwanda while factors related to working conditions have no significant influence on the same dependent variable. The study recommended that it should be mandatory for all private higher learning institutions in Rwanda to offer entrepreneurship related courses and make sure that all the students finish their university studies with knowledge of how to run businesses. For more encouragement, private higher learning institutions should sign MOUs with different companies aiming at offering jobs to their alumni.

Key words: Investigation, Employment factors, Decrease, Student Enrollments, Private, Higher Learning Institution

I. INTRODUCTION

In Rwanda, private higher learning institutions (PHLIs) contribute greatly to the development of the nation by educating its citizen. Amponsah and Onuoha (2013) assert that the major contribution of private universities is that of helping the country in funding and providing education to its citizens. The overall functioning of PHLIs in Rwanda depends significantly on the number of enrolled students. The main reason is that tuition is almost taken as the sole means of generating funds for these institutions (Teixeira & Koryakina, 2011). That means, these institutions should get considerable student enrollments for proper performance and for them to survive.

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