The Impact of School Feeding Program on School Attendance and Enrollment: A Case Study of Some Selected Schools in the Atwima Nwabiagya District.

Abstract

In the pursuit to tackle social disparities in Ghana‟s education delivery in order to attain her Education for All (EFA) agenda, some pro-poor programs have been initiated. Among these is the Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP) that targets among others, at providing safety nets for the poor, enhancing school enrolment in addition to making better domestic food production. While this program has been implemented since 2005, there is inadequate information on the experiences of beneficiaries. The question then is, to what extent have this investment been effective in reducing poor enrollment and absenteeism in poor households in the Ghanaian rural areas? This research examines how GSFP has affected school enrollment and attendance in Atwima Nwabiagya district in Ghana. The study sought to explore the experiences of beneficiaries of the program within the Atwima Nwabiagya district in Ghana, using interviews and observations. Combining literature with benefit incidence analysis, the results indicate that basic schooling in Atwima Nwabiagya district is generally progressive with an evident rise in enrollment and attendance numbers in pupils‟ participation in education as compared to periods prior implementation of GSFP. Challenges of program delivery documented included extended time spent on serving, eating and cleaning up, counter effective teaching and learning, pose a threat to education quality. There are disputes concerning funding, policy conflicts and issues about targeting and sustainability of the program.