School Gardens in Addis Ababa: Strengthening Experiential Learning and School Feeding Programs in Primary Schools

Abstract

Traditional classroom activities frequently involve passive learning. However, activities in an outdoor class bring theoretical concepts to life through experiential learning. Recognizing the need for an experiential learning, the School Garden brings a solution to the disconnection between the students and the environment. This policy brief argues that school gardens should be institutionalized as a dual-purpose intervention for experiential learning and for supplementing the school feeding program in Ethiopian public primary schools. Evidence from the current shows that student pre–post test analysis demonstrated measurable learning gains, indicating that garden-based instruction positively influenced academic achievement. In addition outdoor class observations further confirmed high levels of student engagement, collaboration, inquiry, and problem-solving skills during garden-based activities. However, the findings also show that the contribution of school gardens to the school feeding program remains limited because only 12.5% of respondents reported that the garden currently supports school meals, and sustainability is constrained by space, water, time, funding, and coordination challenges. Ethiopia’s School Feeding Policy Framework and Implementation Strategy already supports local food production, environmentally friendly school environments, and the use of school gardens to grow fruits, vegetables, and nutritious crops, which provides a strong policy basis for action.