The influence of school feeding programme on pupils’ enrolment in basic schools in the 4 Garrison education unit in the Kumasi metropolis

Abstract

The study was conducted to investigate the influence of School Feeding Programme on school pupils’ enrolment and the challenges thereof in Basic Schools of 4 Garrisons Education Unit in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region. The objectives of the study were to find out the educational benefits of the Programme, establish the influence of the programme on pupils’ enrolment and to identify the challenges associated with the programme. The study used descriptive survey design with the quantitative approach. The target population was 200 head teachers and teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select eight head teachers for the study. Simple random sampling was used to select 130 teachers making a total of 138 for the study. The reliability test yielded Cronbach Alpha of 0.79. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. The study found that the school feeding programme was implemented to reduce malnutrition by providing pupils with one hot nutritious meal using home-grown food crops to stimulate local economics. Also, school feeding programme reduced absenteeism to improve duration of schooling to stimulate educational outcomes and decreased pupils drop out of school to improve attendance. Again, influences of the school feeding programme on school enrolment was that it helped in improving pupils health condition to increase attendance to improve enrolment. The challenges of the school feeding programme were inconsistencies in the release of available funds and inadequate facilities for sanitation and hygiene. It is recommended based on the findings that the Kumasi Metropolitan Directorate of Education organize training workshop for caterers and cooks of the school feeding programme on the need to adopt healthy hygienic practices in the discharge of their duties.