Influence of school meals on students' enrolment in selected Secondary Schools in Kyegegwa district.

Abstract

School meal comprises the food provided to students and sometimes to teachers at school. This study assessed the influence school meals have on students’ enrolment in selected day secondary schools in Kyegegwa district. Methods. Observation, research, interview and questionnaires were used to collect the required data from study participants. Components of the school farm where seen and taken note of. While using questionnaires school administrators and students were respectively given separate questionnaire forms to fill in. Research was conducted through reading several Biology textbooks on the topic of nutrition, as well as reading several literatures related to feeding in schools across the globe, and learners’ enrolment in schools online from the internet. Questions that were orally answered by the interviewees who were both the school administrators and students were also asked by the interviewer. Results. Findings showed that all the schools carried out crop production in the school garden, and that none of the schools carried out animal rearing in their farms. The highest number of food groups offered to learners as school meals was 5, and the minimum was 2. The food groups included cereals, Dark green leafy vegetables, vitamin A rich fruits, legumes, and oils and fats. The enrolment: school age ratios were significantly higher for schools which gave diverse food groups (more than 3 food groups) to learners in form of meals, compared to that of the school which offered very few food groups (less than 3 food groups) to their learners in school meals. Conclusion. Provision of school meals diversified with various food groups boost student’s enrolment into day secondary schools in Kyegegwa district.