Effects of the Ghana school feeding programme on enrolment, attendance and drop-out rate in basic schools in Savelugu-Nanton District

Abstract

For reasons of its geographical location, colonial legacies and cultural practices, the Savelugu-Nanton District is characterised by high illiteracy rate, poverty and low school attainments. The Savelugu-Nanton District was a beneficiary district during the five year piloting of the Ghana School Feeding Programme. The objectives of the study were to examine the effectiveness of the implementation processes of the GSFP and assess the effect of the policy on school attainments in the beneficiary schools and to suggest recommendations towards improving its management. The study employed triangulation. Survey instruments were administered on a study sample of 53 respondents selected purposively from the GSFP institutional set up and major stakeholders. Survey reports and content analysis of published records were used to examine the policy implementation processes. Four schools were selected through probability sampling and Analysis of Variance was used to compare intervention effects on school attainments. The study revealed irregular funding, poor collaboration and participation by the major stakeholders and the non compliance with the selection criteria for beneficiaries and an irregular school feeding. The programme produced no effect on enrolment and attendance except for drop-oat numbers. The study concluded that the implementation processes were not so effective and therefore, failed to achieve any influence on school attainments in the study area. The study recommended to government to involve key stakeholders to reformulate the policy through Parliament into a statute and set standards for management and stakeholder participation. The new statute must incorporate budgetary funding.