The impact of community-based school feeding programme on schooling in primary schools in Tanzania: the case of Mbinga district

The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of community-based school feeding programme on schooling in primary schools in Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to investigate the changes in enrollment, attendance, class repetition, class transition and drop out before and after the inception of school feeding, to examine the impact of community- based school feeding programme on enrollment, attendance, class repetition, class transition and class drop out in primary schools and tofind out challenges of implementation of community based school feeding program in Mbinga district. The study adopted a case study design, which employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection. The study was conducted in eight primary schools in Mbinga district in Ruvuma region. It employed questionnaires to 8 head teachers and 47 teachers. Also 16 school committee members and one DEO for primary schools were interviewed. Moreover, focus group discussion was conducted to 278 pupils. The study reveals that there was increased level in pupils attendance, and class transition after the introduction of SFPs. Also, class repetition and class drop out decreased. Furthermore, there was little difference in the rate of enrollment before and after inception of SFPs. Community based school feeding did not increase Class One enrollment because Class One in many schools were excluded from the programme. The challenges of implementation of community based school feeding were shortage of funds, lack of human and material resources, shortage of infrastructure and lack of school feeding policy. This suggests that community based school feeding has impact on attendance, class repetition and class transition. The study recommends that the central government and local government should support the implementation of community based school feeding by providing grants in order to reduce burden to community members and parents at large. Also schools should have to seek alternative means of collecting contributions instead of using pupils. Moreover, school management has to avoid using pupils to prepare school meals in order to make them use that time for learning. Furthermore, Class One pupils should be provided with school meals so as to attract young children who are not enrolled to enroll in schools.