Parental Contributions to Enhance Sustainable School Feeding Programme in Public Primary Schools in Gairo District Council, Tanzania

Abstract

This study aimed to find out the parental contributions to enhance sustainable school feeding programmes (SFP) at public primary schools in Gairo District Council, Tanzania. It is guided by the two objectives; identify the kind of parental contributions in enhancing sustainable SFP and highlight the parents' perceptions in supporting sustainable school feeding programme (SFP). The study had a sample of 177 respondents who were selected using simple random, snowball and purposive sampling techniques. The study sample involved 98 students, 18 teachers, 60 parents, and 1 District Primary Education Officer. The study employed the mixed method approach and data was collected through a questionnaire, interview, FGD, observation and documentary review. The quantitative data was analysed by using SPSS version 25.0 and the qualitative data was analysed thematically according to the two research objectives. The findings of the study showed the existence of SFP in all 6 schools and the parents had positive perceptions as revealed through contributing food crops, cash money and physical labour to the SFP for constant supply of students' meals. The study recommended the policymakers, government and the community to act on their part for the success and sustainability of SFP