The research aimed at investigating if Lagos State’s regulatory standards has affected the management of low-income private schools (LIPS) due to constant announcements to shut them down as a result of non-compliance. CHAT theoretical framework was selected to understand the relationship that exists between the government and private proprietors. A mixed methods approach using a case study was selected to have qualitative data triangulate the quantitative findings, allowing for an in-depth understanding of the issues faced by low- income private schools. For the qualitative research, purposive sampling using extreme case sampling technique was used to select 15 participants, who had been with AFED for not less than two years, were above 25 years, were owners of low-income private schools, and had access to Internet connectivity. The qualitative data was transcribed and coded using Thematic Analysis in NVivo. Data in the quantitative study was gathered using stratified random sampling from 180 participants and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Chi- Square test of independence (W) was used to calculate the null hypothesis with Alpha level (p value) 0.05 used to accept or reject the Null hypothesis. The analyzed data revealed an alpha value of .039 and Cramer’s V of 0.216.
The study results indicate that most LIPs serve basic education sector but are not registered with government due to compliance challenges, government support for private schools is minimal, there is ignorance on taxes and levies by paid by Proprietors, and Proprietors expect government support in terms of on funding, improved approval processes and training. The Null hypothesis was rejected in favor of the alternate, The Cramer’s V
signified a weak relationship between regulatory enforcement and school management.
The study recommends increased government support to LIPs especially those serving the basic education sector, further review of regulatory and M&E frameworks, training of government officials on mandates and relationship management, and training of proprietors on taxes.