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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMMES AND THE PUPILS’ SCHOOL ATTENTANCE IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KITUI COUNTY, KENYA

Education can be achieved successfully if hunger is controlled. This can be done if SFPs are introduced and implemented in schools. School Feeding Programme was initiated in Kenya in 1979 with provision of milk packets to the pupils and it was fully implemented in 1980 by the government of Kenya with collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP). The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between SFPs and the pupils’ effectiveness in learning in public primary schools in Kitui County. The study intended to assess attendance as an indicators of effectiveness in learning. The study used Classical Liberal Theory of Equal Opportunity and Maslow’s Theory of Human motivation. The researcher used Survey Research Design. The target population was 374 primary schools under feeding Programme in Kitui County. The sample size was 112 schools which are 30% of the target population. These schools were sampled randomly. The researcher also randomly sampled five percent (19) class seven teachers to get a total of 131 respondents. The research instruments used by the researcher were the questionnaires for head teachers and the interviews for class seven teachers’ representatives. To test validity of the research instruments, the researcher did piloting in two schools (10%) of the sample target, 19 class seven teachers. The researcher also discussed the instruments with her supervisors and was advised accordingly. Reliability of the research instruments was calculated using test-retest method. Quantitatively collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson r with the help of SPSS software while qualitatively collected data was analyzed using Focus by Question Analyses Strategy. Analyzed results were presented using tables, graphs and pie-charts. The findings of the study may help the administrators and policy makers in laying their strategies successfully. Results show that there was a significant relationship between school feeding program and the pupils’ school attendance. Findings from the interviews further confirmed that there was unwavering agreement among class seven teachers’ representatives that school feeding program was positively associated with pupils’ school attendance. The study concludes that SFP has significant influence on effectiveness in learning in relation to attendance among primary school pupils, hence the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between school feeding Programme and the pupils’ attendance was therefore, rejected. The study recommends that the county government should liaise with parents and guardians of primary school pupils so as to expand SFPs to retain pupils at school. These findings will be beneficial to the Ministry of Education and the school administrators while laying their strategies.