Initially the intention of the study was to use only second year learners. This was because it was believed that they would still be in the process of responding to institutional HIV prevention materials, but would have established themselves sufficiently in the institution to have adapted to the higher learning institutions’ culture. Due to unforeseen problems, where institutional activities conflicted with timing for the research interviews, the study ended up including learners other than the second years. For instance, at Thaba-Tseka (Lesotho College of Education) I interviewed third year students, since second years were out in the field performing their teaching practice. Maseru (National University of Lesotho) used first year degree learners, but they were accepted as applicable since they had already been through a two-year diploma level with the institute and, in a way, could be said to be in their third year as part of the university’s student body. I chose to continue with these groups, because in reality they too fell within the specifications for the research population since they had spent more than a year away from their caregivers (parents or spouses), and with the assumption that they had adequately established themselves in the institutions to adapt to the tertiary institution culture.
1.9.1 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LESOTHO
The National University of Lesotho (NUL) is an autonomous institution. It is governed by a council and grants its own degrees with the authorization of its senate. According to the UNESCO-IBE (2010/2011), the GoL provides the university with financial assistance for its intermittent expenses. The university’s academic year commences in August and ends in May.
In an effort to improve the healthcare of its community and strengthen its fight against HIV and AIDS, the university established an HIV/AIDS Coordinating Committee in 2002.
According to van Wyk and Pieterse (2006: 10-11), the committee drafted its HIV/AIDS policy in 2002. In an effort to facilitate the implementation of this policy and assist the committee to carry out its mandate, the Vice-Chancellor established a special office at the NUL main campus in Roma in June 2003. However, the policy was only put in place in 2009 because of some administrative setbacks that resulted in its delayed formalization. The policy contains a
23 strategic plan, which outlines actions to be taken by NUL staff and students on policy
formulation, capacity building, advocacy, information generation, dissemination and storage, fundraising, networking, care and support, and community service.
Among the interventions that NUL has managed to undertake through its HIV/AIDS office, though hampered by lack of resources (van Wyk and Pieterse, 2006), is to initiate training for peer educators and organise HIV/AIDS workshops for students and staff. For example, it managed to negotiate with the Center for the Study of AIDS (CSA) at the University of Pretoria to initiate the expansion of the CSA’s Future Leaders @ Work peer education
programme to NUL, under the Beyond Borders regional initiative. The NUL HIV/AIDS office has also been commemorating World AIDS Days since 2004 (van Wyk and Pieterse, 2006), with help of the three anti-AIDS student groups active on the campus. It also included a brief component of HIV/AIDS information in the 2004/2005 orientation programme. With the assistance of the Joint Economics AIDS and Poverty Programme and NAC, the university conducted an HIV sentinel survey to determine HIV prevalence among its community (NUL, 2011) with a view to inform the AIDS Programme so that it could have a basis for making meaningful decisions. Afterwards, the Pre-Entry Science Program (PESP) group of 2010, which registered for studies in May 2010 was identified as the appropriate sample that could be used for the initial HIV related study to be undertaken by the University among its community.
The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of HIV among the Pre-Entry Science Program students and to assess their knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviours that may be associated with their predisposition to HIV. The aim was also to have an idea of their HIV status at the beginning and at the end of their studies (after four years), as the preliminary report (2011) apparently indicated that there was a high rate of sexual activity, including unprotected sex, multiple concurrent partnerships and a high rate of unwanted pregnancies.
Currently, the prevalence of HIV among the student body is confidential at NUL, though the 2008-2012 services data from the university clinic show a prevalence of around three to five percent. HIV prevalence among this group at entry point, where a total of 416 students took
24 part, was found to be 1.7 percent, of which 57.2 percent were females and 42.8 percent were males. Almost all the respondents were Basotho and they were entering the university after their 'O' level qualifying examination. More than three quarters of the respondents were
indicated to be less than 21 years of age and 97 percent of them had never been married. Three quarters of them had been day scholars during their previous school years, out of which only two thirds had stayed with their parents. Nine in ten respondents were straight from school with no work experience. The PESP study (NUL, 2011: v) revealed that knowledge about HIV was widespread. However, the study did not explore the extent to which IEC materials were influencing sexual behavior or strategies for protection against HIV infection among the learners.
1.9.2 TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF LELOALENG
The Institute was established as a boys’ school in 1879 by the Lesotho Evangelical Church, under the name Leloaleng Trade School (Masenyane, Principal, personal communication, 19/09/2013). Until the year 2000, only four courses were offered, namely, automotive mechanics, carpentry and joinery, leatherworks and upholstery, and tailoring. In 2000 the school changed its name toTechnical Institute of Leloaleng (TIL) and included girls in its training. The courses offered were also increased to six, by including bricklaying and plastering, electrical installation and computer applications. In regard to HIV and AIDS, the Institute is said to be working on finding its own counsellor. So far, it is being helped by a private organization, the Population Services International (PSI). For instance, PSI provides testing services and printed IEC materials more than once each year, their last visit being in March 2013. However, the principal indicated that the institute is faced with a problem of how to ensure that the infected are enrolled into Anti-Retroviral Therapy, or are adhering to the treatment, since PSI does not do any follow-ups on those who tested positive or those on a window period during their visit.
1.9.3 LESOTHO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
The National Teacher Training College, now the Lesotho College of Education, was
established in 1975 when the government decided to replace the teacher training college that
25 was operated by the Lesotho Evangelical Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the
Anglican Church, with a centralised institution for both pre-service and in-service teacher training for primary, secondary and vocational schools of Lesotho. As a result, the college’s budget is provided by the government through the Ministry of Education. The college offers four full-time and pre-service diplomas in teaching programmes, including the Distance Teacher Education Programme as well as programmes for primary school managers and administrators. In 2006 the college opened a satellite campus in the Thaba-Tseka District (LCE, 2011), one of the remote districts in Lesotho. The satellite offers the same programmes as the main campus.
All programmes are of three years duration except for the new Diploma in Education (Primary) programme, which was started to replace the Primary Teachers Certificate in September 1998. This Diploma takes three and a half years for teachers and two and a half years for principals. All programmes lead to certificates, which are accredited by the National University of Lesotho (UNESCO-IBE, 2010). The first semester is for a bridging course, designed to upgrade student achievement in the core subjects and to prepare them for tertiary studies. The college also provides an in-service Distance Teacher Education Programme to avail opportunities to unqualified and under-qualified practicing primary school teachers to become qualified to the undergraduate diploma level.
With regard to HIV and AIDS, the college offers a course on adolescence, relationships, reproductive and sexual health, HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STIs) prevention, treatment, care and support. In view of this, the college’s rector writes a foreword in this course’s manual (Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS – Life skills course book for teacher trainees, LCE: 2012). In this, he indicates that the College aspires to equip teachers with knowledge, skills and vision and to stimulate their thoughts and ideas on viable life skills and approaches to handling STIs, including HIV and AIDS, in an effort to produce teachers that can address issues related to sexuality and reproductive health in a way that corresponds with the conceptual level and cultural background of adolescent learners in Lesotho.
26 The college runs a small medical clinic that provides general ambulatory services. According to the nursing sister at the LCE health center (personal communication 24/09/2013), the clinic is fully accredited to provide HIV testing and counseling, anti-retroviral treatment and related services. The satellite campus does not have a clinic. As a result learners are oriented on HIV and AIDS issues and given print IEC materials (produced by the Population Services
International and Phela Health and Development Communications) during their one-week orientation provided at the main campus at the beginning of every academic year.