ABSTRACT

Feeding programme may not increase food intake of targeted individuals by 100 percent, but is provided to improve food consumption, encourage school attendance, enrolment and learning. The provision of School Feeding Programme (SFP) also may result in saving health care cost among children. Despite the benefits that may be obtained from SFP, It is not easy to administer and not provided in all pre-schools. In Kenya, the implementation process of SFP has not yet been effectively carried out. According to the new constitution, Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) is under the management of County Governments, but little has been done in the provision of ECDE services, SFP included. The Programme faces challenges like lack of parental support, inadequate funding and skilled personnel to sensitize on its importance. This study therefore investigated the implementation of SFP in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Bomet County with a view to establish its relationship on children’s enrolment and attendance in Chepalungu Sub- county. This is because about 65% of children in Kenya do not attend pre- school Education and 57.7% do not attend school in Chepalungu, Bomet County. Presumably the study sought to investigate the relationship between SFP and school attendance and enrolment. The study was guided by Abraham Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs and employed descriptive survey design whereby the independent variable was feeding programme while the dependent variables were pre-school attendance and enrolment. Observation schedules, questionnaires for ECD teachers as well as head teachers, interview schedule for Director of Education and document analysis were used to collect data. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to organize and prepare data for analysis. The findings revealed that there is relationship between SFP and children’s school attendance and enrolment. This implies that there is a need to provide SFP in Chepalungu Sub-County. Stakeholders that include the County government should work hand in hand to provide SFP in pre- schools.

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