Impact of the provision of school lunch on attendance in remote rural Jamaican primary schools

Abstract

This study examined the attendance patterns by region of schools which participated in School Feeding Programmes (SFPs) in poor, remote rural areas of Jamaica and determined whether there was a significant difference in attendance over a 10 year period between children who took different lunch types. The study revealed peaks and troughs in the average annual attendance by region, but found no significant difference in attendance by lunch type. Variations in poverty levels and the effect of a conditional cash grant to poor parents are offered as possible explanations for the peaks and troughs in attendance.