Do Social Assistance Interventions Foster School Enrolment? A Case of School Feeding Programmes in Kenya

Human capital accumulation through education is important for sustainable development. However, access to education is dependent on several household factors, including presence of a school, childrens health and nutrition, among other inputs. The study sought to assess the effect of school feeding programmes on school enrolment while controlling for various households, learner and school level factors. The study used the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS) 2015/16 data, which is a national household dataset with household and community-level information. A probit model was used to undertake the analysis at three basic levels of education, namely: pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. The results show mixed effects of the school feeding programme on enrolment, which differ according to the level of education and type of school. In the pooled sample, there was no significant effect of school feeding programme on enrolment at pre-primary school level, while substantive effects were observed in primary and secondary school levels. The effect of school feeding programmes in public schools is negative whereas it is positive in private schools. The presence of school feeding programmes in pre-primary and primary school levels in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) leads to increased enrolment in both the pooled and ASAL sub-sample, whereas access to government bursaries has immense positive outcomes on secondary school enrolment. It is recommended that targeting of school feeding programmes be improved to select schools among low income communities in the ASALs and informal settlements in urban areas. There is need to ensure timely disbursement of funds towards public school feeding programmes at all levels of education. There is also need for increased investment towards bursaries in secondary schools. Finally, county governments need to provide financial support to public pre-primary schools towards school feeding programmes.