Equity and Academic Resilience: A Narrative Review of Nepal's Mid-Day Meal Program in Community Schools

Abstract: The effective learning of children fundamentally depends on a healthy and hunger-free body. To enhance the quality of education, efficiency, and health indicators among children, Nepal introduced the Mid-Day Meal Program in 1976 AD, initially targeting 37 food-insecure and economically disadvantaged districts. Since then, the program has significantly improved school attendance and the quality of life for children from low-income, food-insecure families in community schools where it is implemented. Among various promotive factors for academic resilience, the Mid-Day Meal Program has emerged as a key contributor, particularly in government schools in rural areas. This paper employs a narrative review methodology to examine policy provisions and implementation mechanisms at the grassroots level in Nepal’s government schools, based on the Community School Mid-Day Meal Standard and Program Facilitation Book, 2019. Additionally, it assesses how the program promotes equity for intersectional students. Limited studies have reviewed existing Mid-Day Meal guidelines, highlighting gaps and strengths in enhancing academic resilience—particularly for students from poor, marginalized, and Indigenous communities in Nepal. The findings include that the Dropout rate reduced from 10.5% (2015) to 6.2% in 2023 due to the effective implementation of Mid- the Day Meal Program in community schools including a 12% increase in girls' enrollment in community schools. However, there is a need for implementation of existing plans and policies, particularly addressing the need for budget revision, and regular monitoring of its provisions to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the students getting benefits from the midday meal programs. Keywords: Mid-Day Meal; Government Schools; Education; Intersectional Student. Title: Equity and Academic Resilience: A Narrative Review of Nepal’s Mid-Day Meal Program in Community Schools Author: Shikchhya Yonzon, Shukria Rahimi, Sarmiento Acosta Carlos Roberto International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 13, Issue 2, April 2025 - June 2025 Page No: 97-103 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 11-April-2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15195660 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/equity-and-academic-resilience-a-narrative-review-of-nepals-mid-day-meal-program-in-community-schools