Expectations of School Feeding Programme: Impact on School Enrolment, Attendance and Academic Performance in Elementary Ghanaian Schools

Abstract

Aims: The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) was conceptualized to provide pupils at the public basic schools with one hot nutritious meal per day. The objectives of GSFP included reduction of hunger and malnutrition, increase school enrolment, attendance and retention among others. There has been limited or insufficient research into the relationships between nutritional status, the participation in school feeding programs and school performance. The study therefore seeks to find out the impact of school feeding programme on school enrolment and attendance and on the academic performance of the pupils in the basic Schools. Study Design: Longitudinal study design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in sampled basic schools in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District in the Central Region of Ghana. Methodology: The study was carried out in six basic schools that participated in the GSFP in the District, and six basic schools not included in the programme served as the control group. Descriptive statistics was the main method used in the analysis. Multivariate analysis of variance was also performed using SPSS. Within the selected schools, simple random sampling technique was adopted in the selection of 10 pupils from each school. In all 120 sampling units were included in the study, 60 each from schools with GSFP and 60 from schools without GSFP. Results: Partial Eta Squared values of 0.735 and 0.752 shows relatively high magnitude of variances in pupil attentiveness in class and pupil school enrolment respectively explained by the GSFP. The Partial Eta Squared value of pupils’ attendance was 0.001 and was not statically significant which is indicative of no difference between schools with GSFP and schools without GSFP. The Partial Eta Squared values of 0.399 indicate a low impact on academic performance due to GSFP. Conclusion: The national school feeding program implemented in Ghanaian basic schools included in this study showed positive effects on school enrolment and school academic performance, but less remarkable impact on attendance over an extended period of 3 years.