Deadly Inertia: A Cross-Country Study of Educational Responses to HIV/AIDS

This report analyses responses to HIV/AIDS, both by Ministries of Education and civil society groups working on education, in 18 countries across Asia, Latin America and Africa. The research found that although in many countries HIV/AIDS strategies and units have been created within Ministries of Education, these are largely not effective due to lack of implementation. As well, HIV/AIDS has not generally been successfully integrated into school curricula. It was also found that Ministries of
Education are not taking sufficient steps to ensure that HIV/AIDS infected and affected learners can stay in school, and that responses to HIV among the teaching profession have been limited. While it was recognised that there are some partnerships between HIV related non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Ministries of Education, this was seen as an area in need of strengthening. NGOs have responded to HIV/AIDS in education in two key ways: providing HIV/AIDS education in schools, and giving direct and indirect support for children orphaned by AIDS. NGOs have been much slower to respond to the issue of teachers and HIV, and the work that is being conducted is concentrating solely on HIV prevention. The report states that Global Campaign for Education (GCE) members "have campaigned relentlessly to achieve Education For All. Three campaign areas in particular (abolition of user fees, girls’ education and quality education) are strongly linked to the educational response to HIV/AIDS. Campaigning around HIV/AIDS should not create any contradiction to campaigning on Education for All, because the HIV/AIDS epidemic only serves to highlight the importance of free and quality education."

The report explains that education is a necessary part of any HIV/AIDS-prevention campaign, and that the education sector is also being impacted by HIV/AIDS. It argues that education is a vital factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS and that individuals without access to education are far more likely to become HIV positive. At the same time, without a systematic strategy for mitigating the impact of AIDS, the epidemic will undermine the provision of education, thereby denying children access to the quality learning they need to stay safe from HIV, and slowing or even reversing progress towards universal education. As well, children who most need the protection
and skills afforded by education – those affected or infected by the disease – will not be able to attend school unless their special needs are addressed.

The report states that a larger, better-coordinated and more systematic response is urgently needed, and makes a number of recommendations:

• Ministries of Education should formulate a clear and costed strategic plan on HIV/AIDS, which is integrated into education-sector plans and national poverty-reduction strategies, and which is complemented by state and district level plans.
• Ministries of Education must clearly define the rights of HIV positive children in schools, as well as the rights of HIV positive education workers, and establish policies, regulations and procedures to prevent AIDS-related discrimination against learners and teachers. Workplace policies must be put in place to respond to the needs of HIV positive teachers.
• Greater effort must be made to understand the special educational needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS.
• Governments must put in place adequate monitoring systems for measuring the impact of the epidemic on education.
• High priority must be given to training teachers to teach about HIV/AIDS. Both in-service and pre-service teacher training should include compulsory
  HIV/AIDS components that are examinable or certifiable.
• HIV/AIDS should not be taught in isolation, but as part of a wider sexual and reproductive health framework. Curriculum development should be in partnership with
  civil society and, while being culturally appropriate, should be based on scientifically accurate information rather than being ideologically driven.
• Civil society organisations (CSOs) need to be more proactive and systematic in seeking to influence HIV/AIDS-related policies and plans of their government.
  Stronger linkages and alliances between teachers’ unions, education groups and health groups (among others) would help to ensure a more effective and better informed
  civil society input to policy discussions.
• In order for schools to play an effective role in fighting AIDS, all children, especially the economically poorest and most marginalised, must be able to go to school.
• Financing these measures will require immediate and major increases in aid and debt relief for affected countries.