Food for thought? Experimental evidence on the learning impacts of a large-scale school feeding program

There is limited experimental evidence on the effects of large-scale, government-led interventions on human capital in resource-constrained settings. We report results from a randomized trial of the government of Ghana’s school feeding. After two years, the program led to moderate average increases...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Aurino, Elisabetta, Gelli, Aulo, Adamba, Clement, Osei-Akoto, Isaac, Alderman, Harold
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: University of Wisconsin Press 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139971
Descripción
Sumario:There is limited experimental evidence on the effects of large-scale, government-led interventions on human capital in resource-constrained settings. We report results from a randomized trial of the government of Ghana’s school feeding. After two years, the program led to moderate average increases in math and literacy standardized scores among pupils in treatment communities, and to larger achievement gains for girls and disadvantaged children and regions. Improvements in child schooling, cognition, and nutrition constituted suggestive impact mechanisms, especially for educationally-disadvantaged groups. The program combined equitable human capital accumulation with social protection, contributing to the “learning for all” sustainable development agenda.