Effect of School Feeding Programme on Enrolment, Attendance and Pass Rate of Pupils:

a Case of Nakatindi Community School in Livingstone.

Abstract

In developing countries, almost 60 million children go to school hungry and about 40 percent are from Africa (Akambi, 2013). School Feeding Programmes (SFP) are interventions that deliver a meal to children in the school setting, with intent of improving attendance, enrolment, nutritional status and learning outcomes. A study was conducted at Nakatindi Community School in Livingstone to elucidate the effect of the SFP on pupil enrolment, attendance and pass rate. The objectives of the study were to determine the levels of pupil enrolment before and after commencement of the SFP; determine the main reasons for the attendance of pupils; examine the pass rate of pupils before and after the initiation of SFP. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used for data collection. The study sample was 300 pupils, parents and teachers, selected using simple random and purposive sampling. The research showed that pupil enrollment at Nakatindi Community School was influenced by the SFP with 60% of the parents stating that they enrolled children at Nakatindi Community School because of the SFP. The reasons for pupils attending school were to learn (47%) and SFP (40%). The pass rate was statistically insignificantly influenced by the SFP. In this regard the school feeding programme alone cannot influence the stated positons in its entirety but that other factors also contribute to the pupils’ school attendance and pass rate according to the results that the research obtained.