CHAPTER ONE
2.5 IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRENT INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY
According to Biersteker and Robinson (2000), the HIV and AIDS epidemic is fast becoming South Africa's priority health problem. The Department of Health has placed interventions against AIDS at the top of its agenda. In most provinces there is collaboration between Departments of Health and Departments of Education in developing programmes for school-aged young persons (Abrahims, Wigton & De Jong, 1997). Schools have a significant influence on child and adolescent development (Entwisle, 1990). A child's experiences in school have the potential to protect him or her from the debilitating and in the case of HIV, life-threatening consequences of unwise behavioural decision-making.
Schools are the ideal places to be taught to embrace and promote acceptance of people living with HIV and AIDS. It is necessary to embark on education and awareness campaigns at schools. As leaders of tomorrow, school children must be empowered with information to enable them to lead productive lives and to take their rightful places in the future. According to the National AIDS Programme held in 1998, interventions in schools are one of the most important strategies in the fight against HIV and AIDS pandemic. Life skills programmes and sexuality education are therefore a critical component of HIV and AIDS prevention. However, drawing from Moletsane (2003), the education system, including the teachers, are ill-prepared to address the special educational needs of the infected and affected. Providing better training, information materials and preparation for educators is a major priority.
HIV and AIDS education programmes have to date, been lacking in recognising traditional and cultural beliefs that may identify witchcraft, evil spirits or offence to ancestors as causes of AIDS. To succeed, educational programmes must incorporate sensitivity with respect to traditional belief systems in order to enlist the involvement of traditional leaders and healers (HIV/AIDS and Education, 2000). Counselling services and trauma support for learners, educators and families will mean a change in the role of education.
Effective HIV and AIDS, sexual health and sex education needs to be built into the curriculum at all levels of the system. Early departure of youth from the education system stresses the importance of starting sex and HIV and AIDS education at an early age and initiating programmes for out-of-school youth and adults. According to the Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (2001), some parents in developing countries are concerned that the introduction of sex education in schools will lead to greater sexual activity among youth. However, UNAIDS studies around the world have found little evidence to support this concern (2001). In fact, there is evidence that youth exposed to such education are more likely to be cautious (UNAIDS, 2001).
Teaching is being transformed by HIV and AIDS, with new tasks constantly emerging for educators in the fields of care, counselling and trauma support. Education about HIV is compatible with the objectives of the Pastoral Care initiatives in many schools.
These are intended to foster all-round, social, emotional, vocational and academic growth of each student through activities across the curriculum that stimulate self- awareness, goal setting, decision-making and inter-personal skills (HIV and AIDS Education, 2000). Effective school-based programmes aim to create an environment where altered behaviour is encouraged by stimulating individual changes in attitude.
Providing students with opportunities to develop and practise important social skills, problem-solving, and refusal tactics will serve as a buffer against engaging in casual and unprotected sex or submitting to unwanted demands for sex (REACT, 1997).
Preventive education is the only tool available for reducing the risk of HIV infection among youth. Formative sexual attitudes and experiences are a part of the psychosocial development that occurs during school years (REACT, 1997). Any overall plan for HIV and AIDS prevention needs to include evaluation. Periodic self- report surveys can help to indicate whether knowledge, attitudes and behaviours increase or drop over a period of time when a prevention programme has been introduced in school (Welbourne-Moglia & Moglia, 1989). The array of deprivations and special needs arising from HIV and AIDS 'will challenge the education system to go beyond its traditional teaching role and develop capacity and systems to support the large numbers of children in crisis, and provide them with life and survival skills from relatively early ages' (LoveLife, 2001).
There are many models of developmentally responsive, holistic, school-based HIV prevention programmes that enable students to learn the knowledge and skills needed to understand and negotiate sexuality throughout their lives (Welbourne-Mogolia &
Moglia, 1989). Innovative prevention programmes have derived from psychological theories such as Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1994). The aim is to create an environment where altered behaviour is encouraged by stimulating individual changes in attitude and enabling practical experience of different relevant behaviours. Using these techniques, adolescents are helped to learn assertiveness and refusal skills for counteracting pressure to engage in unprotected sex (REACT, 1997).
Success has also been found in programmes that use student peers who discuss teenage relationships as well as provide factual information. Research conducted in other countries show that older students are often seen as role models and as more acceptable sources of information about risky behaviours than adults (Perry, 1989).
Drawing from Kelly (2002), young people listen to one another and can speak a language that strikes an immediate chord with their age-mates. Involving young people in programme development recognises the powerful socialising influence that young people have over each other and seeks to win to its side the potency of peer pressure. They appear to have more success than adults in assisting younger teenagers to make autonomous decisions and to develop skills to deal with unwelcome sexual pressures. One implication of research on HIV prevention efforts is that HIV prevention content and activities should be integrated into teaching across the academic curriculum, and not isolated in a special programme.
The problem of HIV and AIDS is not the problem of the government alone, or the Department of Health, it is everybody's problem, which requires a systemic solution.
Together people can contribute to the goal of defeating the scourge of HIV and AIDS.
The central message on HIV and AIDS therefore must be of hope and of humanity's capacity to triumph over adversity and tragedy!