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The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a service quality measurement scale for a secondary school setting in Mauritius.

Research was conducted in two stages. First, a focus group method with the educators was used to identify the service quality dimensions and scale items. Study 2 used the exploratory factor analysis to group the service dimensions into latent “service factors”. The sample data were collected through a survey among educators from secondary schools.

Factor analysis was used to develop a valid and reliable service quality measurement scale. The results of this study indicated that secondary education service quality is a multidimensional construct made up of five dimensions, namely school facilities, reliability, responsiveness, empathy and assurance-discipline.

Since, the study took place in only one of the four secondary educational zones in Mauritius, increasing the sample base in terms of zones, number of schools and respondents could provide safer generalisations of findings.

This study provided insights for school administrators. The five dimensions clarified how educators form their quality perceptions toward the secondary schools. The study provides a useful tool for regular monitoring of quality in order to identify strengths and areas of improvement in the secondary education setting.

This paper extends the service quality scale into the secondary school context. The proposed new scale expresses main service quality parameters that secondary schools could cater for to evaluate service delivery.

The aim of this paper is to examine educators' perceptions of service quality in secondary schools. Research into service quality in a secondary educational context is somewhat scant, and where investigations have been undertaken, very little has been conducted from the educators' perspectives.

A focus group was conducted to elicit attributes of service quality that were deemed important by educators of state secondary schools. The study utilises focus group findings and modifies the SERVQUAL to develop a research instrument, EDUSERV, which measures educators' expectations and perceptions of service quality in secondary schools in Mauritius.

Exploratory factor analysis was used to group the service attributes into latent “service factors” and the statements loaded on five factors. Consequently, the EDUSERV instrument was found to be reliable and valid to measure service quality in a secondary education environment. Regression analysis was also used to examine the relationship between quality dimensions and overall satisfaction.

This is the first stage of a comprehensive study, the model was tested only with educators in Mauritius, and this is the major limitation. Future research direction is desired for conducting the study using the same instrument on students and school management.

The research has important managerial implications as the findings will assist secondary school management and policy makers in identifying areas which require attention so as to improve the level of service quality in secondary education.

The paper presents a model which can be used to evaluate service quality in secondary education.