Realising the right to adequate food in secondary Schools in Uganda: a case study of selected schools in Mityana district

Abstract

The absence and the urgent need to address the feeding of children in secondary schools in accordance to the human right to adequate food and national policies is the aim of this research study. It examines international, regional, national human rights instruments and the study related policies contribution to the implementation and realization of the right to adequate food in secondary schools. The major objective of the study was to determine the status and challenges to the level of food accessibility and nutrition of children in secondary schools in Mityana District. The study used across – sectional case study to explore the objectives and questions. To get a bigger picture self – administered structured and unstructured questions using a qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were administered to key respondents. To further deepen the study, library sources were exploited. The quantitative data components infused are essentially to verify and beef up qualitative analytical and descriptive processes. The analysis processes and the research findings reveal that secondary school children’s rights to adequate food is a cross–cutting right requiring a multi – sectoral, legal implementation and realization approaches. The conclusions and recommendations emphasize, the low levels of implementation; accessibility and realization are largely due to gaps in national policies. This consequently calls for a comprehensive secondary school policy framework on children’s feeding and this should mainly address a children’s rights perspective enshrined in the human rights instruments to which Uganda is a Party. This status obliges Uganda Government to be the major duty-bearer: to promote, respect, fulfill and protect, in the realization of the children’s right to adequate food in secondary schools.