The Effects of School Feeding Programme on Enrolment and Performance of Public Elementary School Pupils in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the School Feeding Programme of public elementary school pupils in Osun State, Nigeria. It was done with a view to determine its effects on school enrolment, retention, and academic performance of the pupils. It also elicited the challenges encountered in the implementation of the programme. The study adopted the survey research design and obtained its data from primary and secondary sources. The primary data were obtained through a structured questionnaire administered on116 respondents in 10 randomly selected public elementary schools in Osun State. The questionnaire was complemented by in-depth interview of 23 purposively selected officers involved in the implementation and monitoring of the school feeding programme. The retrieved data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that pupils are fed daily through the school feeding programme (87%), which is funded through cost sharing between the State and local governments (78%). It was also found that the school feeding programme in Osun State has resulted in an increase in pupils' enrolment (78.4%), retention (44.8%), as well as regularity (58.6%) and punctuality (69%) in school attendance. It has also enhanced the pupils' performance in curricular and extracurricular activities (55.2%). The major challenges were found to be insufficient funding (62.2%), insufficient classrooms and furniture to cope with increase in enrolment (60.86%), heavy workload for teachers (60.86%) and lack of effective monitoring and evaluation system (60.86%).The study concluded that the School Feeding Programme in Osun State has increased the enrolment and improved the performance of elementary school pupils in the state.