Impact of school feeding programme on access to basic education: the case of South Tongu district of the Volta region, Ghana

Abstract

The study examined the influence of the school feeding programme on access to basic education in the South Tongu District in the Volta Region, Ghana. Mixed method research approach was employed to conduct the study. Stratified random sampling and purposive sampling procedures were used to select 213 respondents for the study. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data for the study. Data gathered through questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies while interview data analysis was done using the thematic approach. The results of the study showed that the school feeding programme has a significant influence on increased enrolment, attendance and retention of pupils in the South Tongu District. However, the implementation of the programme has put pressure on teaching and learning resources as well as increased teacher-pupil ratio. The study therefore, recommended that the government, implementation ministries and agencies should increase the existing human, physical and financial resources for the school feeding programme to be sustained.

What's cooking? Adding critical feminist research to the pot - Community kitchens, school feeding programmes, and savings schemes in Cape Town, Nairobi, and Ouagadougou

“…Both national governments and international organisations have voiced their agreement that providing food for children in schools not only enhances their nutrition, but also has positive impacts on education, gender equality, local economies, and agricultural development (FAO & WFP, 2018;WFP, 2019). They claim that the prospect of even one meal per day increases the chances of a child going to school attending classes, being more attentive, improving their cognitive capacity, and enhancing their learning outcomes (Milledzi et al, 2017;Abotsi, 2013;Maijo, 2018;Metwally et al, 2020). Receiving food on the condition of attending school -especially if the food is received in the form of take-home rationsincreases enrolment rates, in general, and more so for girls who, in many countries, are less likely than their male counterparts to pursue primary education.…”