Evaluating the Influence of the Mid-Day Meal Program on Primary School Students Enrollment and Retention

Abstract

With the dual objectives of improving the health and education of underprivileged children, India has undertaken the ambitious task of implementing the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) program in government and government-aided primary schools. This paper analyzes the nature and impact of the MDM program on the academic performance of students in primary schools. Education forms the foundation of an individual’s physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and social development. Humans, as rational beings, possess unique qualities that distinguish them from other living creatures. This rationality and capacity for higher thought enable humans to transcend their base instincts, a transformation that education facilitates. Without education, a person is akin to being blind or lifeless.

The introduction of the Mid-Day Meal program has significantly increased enrollment and retention rates in primary schools. Parents are now more inclined to send their children to school, and rural head teachers and community leaders have expressed strong support for the initiative. According to the findings, the MDM program has been instrumental in improving attendance and enrollment rates among economically disadvantaged primary school students. Rural head teachers, in particular, have shown a consistently favorable attitude toward the program, recognizing its value in promoting primary education.