An Assessment of the Influence of School Meals on Attendance: a Case Study of Primary Schools in Kibera and Mathare Informal Settlements in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

This study strived to ascertain the effect in the urban school feeding programme (SFP) on pupils' attendance in Kibera and Mathare informal settlements, in Nairobi County and suggest any possible interventions to ensure an effective SFP in urban areas. The study employed a treatment-control approach to establish the differences that existed between schools with, and those without feeding. A total of 10 schools that were feeding in 2018 and had the programme terminated in 2019, and 4 schools that were feeding in both 2018 and 2019 were included in the study as treatment and control respectively. Data gathered was analysed using Difference-in-Differences (DiD) method. The outcome of the study disclosed that withdrawal of SFP led to an overall decline in attendance by 116 pupils for both boys and girls in both informal settlements. In Kibera a total of 113 pupils missed school compared to 139 pupils in Mathare. Founded on the study outcome, it suggested that, even with scarce and limited resources available, there is need for the government to prioritize support to urban school feeding. In addition, school management committees and head teachers must broaden the community and parental commitment in supporting urban SFP. Finally, the study suggests that an intensive comparative study might be undertaken to compare the influence of enrolment necessitated by school feeding programme and attendance in schools in urban informal settlements, in relation to schools in rural areas.