Impact of School Feeding Programme on Learners’ Academic Performance in Mlunduzi Ward, Tanzania

Abstract

This study conducted to assess the impact of school feeding programme on pupil’s academic performance in Mlunduzi ward, Tanzania. The cross-sectional survey design was used for this study. This study was equally qualitative and quantitative in nature. A questionnaire was administered to capture the impact from 96 respondents in four randomly selected primary schools in Mlunduzi ward. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was employed to complement the questionnaires. A checklist was used to validate data from learners and teachers through the focus group discussion. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results expose that school feeding programme had shown significant impact on learner’s academic performance. The analysis has indicated that the school feeding programme had increased examination performance, helped to get learners into school, enhancing enrolment and reducing absenteeism. The assessment of examination scores in the period before and during school feeding programme had shown that learners got better in an examination during the school feeding programme than before. The study recommends that in practice school feeding programme is difficult interventions; it can be with advantages if the policy makers and implementers can benefit from a careful examination of the programme by involving local communities than depending on donors so as to ensure sustainability of the programme.