The study examined the impact of rural and urban schools on pupils’ competencies in English Language and Mathematics tests. The sample comprised 16,481 primary 3 and 14,495 primary 6 pupils from 448 and 426 schools respectively. The schools were selected using stratified random sampling technique and the data analysed using multilevel modelling technique. The study found statistically significant differences in achievement between rural and urban school pupils at both the national and regional levels. Compared with urban school children, rural school children on the average score 2 and 4 marks less in primary 3 and 6 English Language tests respectively. Similarly, rural school children on the average earned 1 mark less in primary 3 and 6 Mathematics tests. Rural school children in the Eastern Region were most disadvantaged by scoring 6 and 8 marks less in the primary 3 and 6 English Language tests respectively when compared with their urban peers. The only exception was the Northern Region where the average achievements of rural school children were higher than their urban peers. The findings suggest that it significantly mattered which part of the country a child attends school. This runs counter to the nation’s educational policies and the realisation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4. Hence, to provide quality and inclusive education for all pupils, resources for schools and communities should be equitably distributed and effectively utilised.

Keywords: School locality, Socioeconomic, Competency, Regions