Assessing the Educational Impact and Implementation Challenges of the Ghana School Feeding Programme: A Mixed-Methods Study in Two Selected Public Basic Schools in Winneba

This mixed-methods study evaluates the educational impact and implementation challenges of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in two public basic schools in Winneba, Effutu Municipality: Don Bosco Primary Boys and Don Bosco Primary Girls. Grounded in Human Capital Theory (Becker, 1964) and a Theory of Change framework, the convergent parallel design combined quantitative data from school records and questionnaires with qualitative insights from interviews and focus groups involving 30 pupils, 10 parents, 4 teachers, 2 headteachers, and 2 caterers. Results indicate that the GSFP substantially improved school participation: enrolment increased by 17.9%, average daily attendance reached 89.4%, retention rose by 11.9%, and mean examination scores in Mathematics and English improved by 7.3%. Outcomes were slightly stronger in the girls’ school for attendance and academic performance. Prospects include stronger community ties and support for local agriculture, while challenges—delayed funding, inadequate infrastructure, rising pupil-teacher ratios, and variable meal nutrition—undermine effectiveness. Stakeholders recommend timely payments, facility upgrades, community monitoring, and stricter nutritional standards. The study concludes that the GSFP remains essential for educational access in low-income areas but requires systemic reforms for sustainability (World Food Programme, 2022; Milledzi et al., 2017).