NIGERIA HOME GROWN SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME AND THE PERFORMANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This study was designed to find out the relationship between the Nigeria Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme and Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) or pre-primary school system. The ECCE performance indices considered in the study were: children enrolment and the provision of infrastructure/facilities. To guide the study, two research questions and hypotheses were formulated. Expost facto design was adopted for the study. The study area was the central education zone of Cross River State-Nigeria. The sample size was 543 teachers or caregivers. The instruments for data collection were a 30 items questionnaire titled: Home Grown School Feeding and Early Childhood Care Education System Performance (HGSFECCESP) and a check list. PPMC was used in testing the hypotheses and the result revealed that there exists a significant relationship between HGSF and children enrolment in ECCE. It was also revealed that, HGSF significantly relate with the provision of infrastructure/facilities in ECCE centres in Nigeria. Based on the result, it was recommended among others that the Federal Government of Nigeria should improve on the quality and quantity of the meals served to the ECCE children.