Stimulating Parent Engagement in the School-Based Feeding Program of the San Carlos Elementary School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Parents play a significant role in supporting their children's health and learning, guiding their children successfully through school processes, and advocating for their children and the effectiveness of schools.

Because each helping hand is synchronously related to each other, the decline in number of participation caused a dilemma to the sustainability of the SBFP which is now a major concern for the school administration, prompted the proponent to conduct a study to find out the causes of the diminution in parent engagement and from the findings formulate recommendations that became the basis for the construction of the action plan in stimulating parent engagement in the SBFP of San Carlos Elementary School.

METHODS

Descriptive qualitative research was used. It aimed at assessing the involvement of parents in the SBFP who served as the respondents of the study consisted of 73 parents from the local community of Barangay San Carlos, Rosario, Batangas who have children studying in the aforementioned school.

RESULTS

Based on the results, the findings revealed that most of the parents had different perceptions of the SBFP in San Carlos Elementary School. Most of the respondents perceived that this program was an extra load for them and only a few of them had a positive outlook about the program like it is a program that provides benefits to school children in terms of improving nutritional status and a program that addresses child malnutrition.

The study also shows the different reasons of decreasing level of participation of parents in the implementation of the program.

As a result, majority of the parents agreed that improving teacher-relationship and proper information dissemination to parents about their schedule in the lunch feeding program will be a great help in improving their level of engagement in the SBFP.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrate the need for different strategies to stimulate parents engagement in the school-based feeding program. Proper information dissemination like conducting meetings, home visitations, making phone calls or sending messages through text, sending letters to parents assigned and giving awards and recognition will be a great help in increasing parents level of participation in the School-Based Feeding Program. These activities will contribute a lot in changing parents negative perceptions about the program and help in building astrong teacher-parent relationship for the welfare of the learners.