Impact of mid-day meal scheme: A survey

Pages: 242-243
Poonam Rani, Yogesh Chander, Suman Dalal and Ritu (Department of Education, BPS Mahila, University, Sonepat)
Sat Pal (Department of Physiology, Pt. B. D. Sharma, PGIMS, Rohtak)
Harish Kumar (Department Psychiatry, Pt. B. D. Sharma, PGIMS, Rohtak)
Sushil Kumar and Durga Sharma (Lecturers)

Mid-day meal (MDM) is one of the initiatives that is the central and state government. MDM was started in order to protect our primary school children from malnutrition and other disease and thus providing opportunity for their proper growth and resulting in the improvement in their learning level so that a strong foundation of quality education and physical stamina is provided to the children. Study was Cross-sectional and participants were given a self-structured questionnaire. A sample of 40 teachers (20 rural and 20 urban) were selected from 20 government primary schools (10 urban and 10 rural) from five blocks of district Rohtak, Haryana. Percentage, simple proportion, Results indicated that mid day meal is a factor for attracting the students for admission (57%), there was increase in the daily attendance in the school (65%), and the there was a good response to stop the dropout rate (57%). Mid-Day Meal Scheme has an overall positive effect on education. The admission and attendance have increased in the schools. The school dropout rate has decreased. It is needed to change the thinking of teacher toward this scheme and remove the lacuna to make the mid-day meals scheme more effective, productive, purposeful and result oriented.