5.2 The Curriculum Policy Context
5.2.2 The National Policy Context
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living with HIV. The latter is made in the context of the absence of human rights programmes in the national AIDS plans of many countries with less than 1% of the $18.9 billion being spent on HIV/AIDS in 2012 instead of going towards the much-needed human rights responses (Plot et al., 2015).
As a signatory to the SDGs, Lesotho has committed to develop policies and programmes that address the factors that put people at risk of HIV infection. Like other nations, the country has committed itself to ensuring that there will be zero new HIV infections in the country by 2030. Arguably, such interventions would, as Unterhalter et al. (2014) suggest, change the institutions. For example, it would improve resources and infrastructure in the school and change gender norms in and around the schools and teacher training institutions. It would thus enable the education sector to implement effective programming aimed at curbing the spread of HIV among young people in the country. The next section examines the extent to which the country’s policy context is aligned to this international policy framework and to which these policies are on target to curb the spread of HIV in the country, particularly among the young people, including those of school-going age.
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The government of Lesotho, through its policies, acknowledges and seems to take the negative impacts of HIV and AIDS and the role that education can play in helping adults and young people in schools in the fight against the epidemic seriously. In terms of changing the institutions (for example schools and teacher education institutions) in which HIV and AIDS education and training occur, in 2004 the country undertook a review of curriculum policies and introduced a new curriculum in 2007.
As will be illustrated in this section, the policies have arguably created a conducive environment for those who work and learn in schools and teacher training institutions. However, as illustrated in previous chapters (see Chapter Two for example), evidence from these institutions suggests that these policies have not had much impact on institutional policies and practice, including teaching and learning.
First, the policies aim to facilitate access to education for all. At the national level, access to education is protected by the country’s Constitution. Section 28 thereof provides for education for all (Order No. 5 of 1993). In line with this, the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) (2005-2015:
110-111) considers HIV and AIDS “as one of the key cross-cutting issues that need to be addressed.
The ESSP notes that the HIV and AIDS epidemic has been steadily worsening over the years, affecting young people most, with high prevalence rates among teenagers.” The policies aim to change the institutions (including schools) in which young people are educated in various ways. For example, the ESSP (2005-2015) aims “to promote excellence in teacher education. It encourages greater involvement of stakeholders, good governance and effective and efficient system of administration and financing of teacher education” (ESSP:98). This is informed by the notion that
“quality programs facilitated by well-qualified, motivated, and appropriately skilled human resources form the cornerstone of the education and training endeavour” (ESSP:).
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In addition, the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy was introduced in schools in the year 2000, with the aim of abolishing school fees at primary school level in order to provide access to all children of school-going age. Since then, learners are provided with free textbooks, stationery, meals. The school uniform is no longer compulsory at primary school level. Infrastructure, such as classrooms, kitchens and toilets were improved while many new government schools were built across the country to cater for the large number of learners who entered the schooling system after the introduction of the FPE. To further increase access to education, in 2006 the book rental scheme was introduced in Lesotho secondary Schools. Learners at this level are allowed to borrow a set of books for the whole year for their grades and pay M220.00 (equivalent to R220.00 or US$15.00) as an annual book rental fee. In addition, school fees were reduced in 2010 in all secondary and high schools. Government- owned schools charge learners M800.00 per year (about US$55.00) while in community-, private- and church-owned schools they pay M1400.00 (about US$100.00). To ensure that the needy, vulnerable and orphaned learners access education in an affordable manner, the government of Lesotho sponsors them from secondary school up to high school level. At the two main teacher training institutions (the LCE and NUL), student teachers are funded by the government. As a long serving and experienced primary school principal, I can attest to the fact that, in many ways, the changes brought about by these policies have made the school a better place for teaching and learning.
The stress experienced by teachers, parents, School Governing Bodies and learners due to lack of fees, uniforms, meals, facilities and infrastructure has been reduced. Affordable education costs have granted Basotho learners an opportunity to access primary and secondary education. However, other inequalities, including those linked to gender inequality and HIV and AIDS, still remain and continue to act as barriers to education for many learners.
In terms of changing the school environment for the teaching of HIV and AIDS in particular, the policies enabled the improvement of the school curriculum to cater for the inclusion of HIV and
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AIDS and other, related, issues since 2007. Of particular importance has been the incorporation of HIV and AIDS in the existing school and teacher training curricula. For example, HIV and AIDS education is included in the Life Skills Education curriculum as well as other subjects in the school and teacher education curriculum. In this regard, the ESSP states that:
Good quality education in itself is a powerful weapon in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this suggests a need to develop, support and protect those who learn and work within educational institutions (Education Sector Strategic Plan 2005-2015, p. 110).
However, as Masinga (2013), writing in the context of South Africa, has argued, including particular content (for example, HIV and AIDS education) in curriculum policy does not necessarily ensure that it is taught at classroom level. According to her, teachers tend to avoid teaching HIV and AIDS content. The reasons for this avoidance include the fact that in South African schools, it is still taboo to talk or teach about sexuality-related issues (Masinga, 2013). Further, as argued throughout this thesis, teachers are inadequately trained and are therefore unprepared or under-prepared for teaching the subject. This is why I was interested to examine the extent to and ways in which teachers felt adequately prepared to teach the content and the ways in which the learners receive and make meaning out of it.
A second policy which encapsulates the vision of the government of Lesotho and aims to create a conducive environment for teaching in general and teaching HIV and AIDS education in particular, is the Vision 2020 policy document (see Chapter One of this thesis). The document states the vision as seeing Basotho (people of Lesotho) as a functionally literate society with “well grounded, moral and ethical values, adequate social, scientific and technical knowledge and skills by the year 2020”
(Ministry of Finance and development Planning, 2004, p.7). With reference to HIV and AIDS, Vision
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2020 focuses on changing norms in and around schools (see Unterhalter et al, 2014) by empowering young people with knowledge and skills to reduce HIV prevalence among this group through exposing them to sexual and reproductive health education in schools (Education Sector Strategic Plan, 2005-2015). The intention is to fight HIV and AIDS among the youth in cooperation with various ministries within the Lesotho government and the UN. The Vision 2020 further aims “to improve resources and infrastructure by providing health care services through expansion and enhancing youth-friendly corners in the districts' health facilities and youth centres at community level” (Ministry of Finance and development Planning, 2004: 8).
A third policy intervention which is aimed at addressing HIV and AIDS among the young people in Lesotho involves the introduction of the Life Skills Education syllabi (2007) from Grade 4 to Form C (equivalent to Grade 10) in the country’s primary and secondary schools. This intervention focuses on changing the individual learner and the norms in and around the schools. The aim of the syllabi is
“to ensure the empowerment of children through appropriate sex education and access to information on sexuality” (Life Skills Education syllabi, 2007 p.39). Through the introduction of these syllabi the government aims “to increase access to information and services to all young people and empower them to know their rights to self-protection as well as to strengthen and enforce legislation to protect children and young people against any type of abuse or exploitation” (Life Skills Education syllabi, 2007 p.39). The syllabi are meant to expose learners to different themes such as:
…identity, gender, sexual reproductive health, human rights and responsibilities, interpersonal relationship, stress and anxiety, drug and substance abuse, dealing with violence, safety and security, dealing with HIV and AIDS, dealing with poverty, population growth and caring for the environment (Life Skills Education Grade 4-10, 2007, p. 39)
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Arguably, the Lesotho national policy is aimed at changing the schools by improving resources and infrastructure and changing gender norms in and around the education institutions. For example, there are newly built schools including the remote areas of the country, improved classrooms and reduced educational expenses to make education accessible to all Lesotho young people. The teacher-training curriculum at LCE and NUL has been reviewed to include Life Skills Education which covers issues of HIV and AIDS. At the school level, the LSE syllabi were introduced and workshops were conducted to prepare teachers for the teaching of LSE. However, the success of these policies is dependent on the ways in which they are understood and implemented at the institutional level (discussed in the section below) and ultimately on the extent to which they impact on the lives of young people of school-going age.