Selected management practices of schools feeding Program and social equity among public primary school pupils’ of Tiaty west sub county, Baringo county, kenya

Abstract

The initiation of the School Feeding Program in Kenya was driven by the multifaceted goal of not only improving enrollment and attendance rates but also fostering social equity within public schools. This comprehensive approach recognizes the interconnected nature of nutritional support in education, seeking to create an inclusive learning environment that addresses both immediate needs and broader societal goals. Despite this fact, there remains a notable gap in understanding the management practices of school feeding programs and social equity among public primary school pupils’ in Tiaty West Sub County, Baringo County, Kenya. This study sought to achieve the following objectives: to establish the relationship between the implementation of school feeding programs and social equity among primary school pupils in Tiaty West Sub County, Baringo County, Kenya; to establish the relationship between community involvement and social equity among primary school pupils in Tiaty West Sub County, Baringo County, Kenya; and to establish the relationship between the evaluation of school feeding programs and social equity among primary school pupils in Tiaty West Sub County, Baringo County, Kenya. This study utilized Urie Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and Critical Theory. The research adopted a descriptive survey design. The study focused on the educational landscape in Tiaty Sub-county, involving 77 headteachers, 77 parent representatives, 6 Curriculum Support Officers (CSO), 77 class teachers, and 2,219 pupils, totaling 2,456 participants. The sample size of 344 respondents was determined using Slovin's formula. Data was collected through survey questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. Prior to the actual study, a pilot study was conducted in Tiaty East Sub County, a neighboring sub-county with similar conditions, to refine the research instruments and ensure their appropriateness. The research instruments underwent a thorough validation process involving expert reviews and adjustments to ensure the questions aligned with the study's objectives and effectively measured the intended variables. Additionally, the reliability of the instruments was estimated using Cronbach's alpha correlation coefficient to ascertain that the measurements are consistent with a minimum of 0.7 correlation coefficient deemed appropriate. Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data, focusing on identified study themes, while quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. SPSS version 26 aided data analysis. The data analysis matrix guided the statistical procedures applied to answer each research question and test the formulated hypothesis. The study found that the implementation of the School Feeding Program (SFP) significantly impacted social equity among primary school pupils in Tiaty West Sub County, Baringo County, Kenya, with headteachers and class teachers expressing high satisfaction with resource distribution and positive effects on equity. However, parents' representatives had mixed views on meal quality and hygiene, leading to non-significant associations in their perceptions, while significant associations were noted among headteachers and class teachers. The findings of this research are expected to shape policies and practices on the implementation, community involvement, and evaluation of school feeding programs in fostering social equity in the educational context of Tiaty West SubCounty, Baringo County, Kenya.