CHAPTER: 2- LITERATURE REVIEW
2.12. The Role ofthe Education in Promoting HIV/AIDS Awareness
At the International AIDS Conference in Durban 2000, the "Prevention Warks"
Symposium recommended that HIViAIDS education begin early, focusing on children as young as five years old.
Boler (2003) suggests that a number of social factors influence young people's perceptions about HIV, induding religious influence, the media, family and peers. In her research, the purpose being to investigate how HIVIAIDS education is
implemented and received by schools in India and Kenya, she found that parents often feel uncomfortable when talking about sensitive issues with their children. In
addition, the media is perceived as giving out harmful messages. The school is seen by the community, as a trusted and important place for young people to learn about HIVIAIDS. In the same study, sixty three percent of the Indian parents reported never talking to their children about sex or HIViAIDS.
According to UNSAID (2001), researchers have identified key elements that should constitute any successful HIV/AIDS education program. These ideas are based largely on studies conducted in the United States since more evaluation of such programmes in developing countries is lacking and actively sought after.
These include among others:
-the transmission ofa clear message about sexual activity and condom use and continuously reinforcing this message,
- using a variety ofteaching methods that require assistance for the participants to personalize the information.
- providing accurate basic information about the risks ofadolescent sexual activity and about methods ofavoiding intercourse or using condoms to provide protection against HIV infection and.
- providing experiences for modeling and practice ofcommunication, negotiation, and refusal skills.
In its outline ofnonns and standards for educators (Department of Education, 2000), seven essential roles of educators are pointed out. Of particular significance to my area of research, are the roles of 'community facilitator' and 'pastoral care giver'. As documented in the Government Gazette, 415(4) February 2000, this task would include being able to respond to current social and educational problems with particular emphasis on the issues of violence, drug abuse, poverty, child and women abuse, HIV/AIDS and environmental degradation.
The National Policy on HIV/AIDS for Learners and Educators in Public Schools, and Students and Educators in Further Education and Training Institutions (1999), makes provisions for pertinent issues that relate to the non-discrimination of learners, students and educators with HIV/AIDS, protection of confidentiality, a safe school environment and HIV/AIDS education at all levels.
In a paper for the 'Education for All" (EFA) conference, held in Dakar in 2000, Carol Coombe raised the following issues:
"The gains ojEFA are being undone by the AIDS pandemic. Nevertheless, most countries do not factor the influence ojAIDS into education planning. 'What must we do to understand how to live vvith AIDS, as individuals, communities, and civil societies? How can we mitigate the parldemic'sconsequences? Does education's planning and management paradigm need to change?" (Coombe, in Chisholm, et al;
2003: 124)
Coombe, in Chisholm, et al (2003) suggests that education ministers need to focus on service delivery. Among others, one way to achieve this is to identify at-risk student populations and to target these groups with the necessary intervention initiatives.
According to the South African Institute of Race Relations (2000), the school system has to contend with adolescent sexuality, with the highest rate of infection occurring among the 14-24 year old age group generally.
The Department of Education's Implementation Plan for Tirisano (2000-2004), prioritises HIVIAIDS in three of its projects. Aspects relevant to this study include:
-Awareness, inforrnation and advocacy;
-HIVIAIDS within the curriculum and - HIVIAIDS and the education system.
This plan sets out to deal urgently and purposefully, with HIVIAIDS through educational training. This is to be achieved via the integration of Life Skills and
The Emergency Guidelines on HIVIAIDS for Educators (1999) makes provisions for this. These guidelines highlights the role of educators in curbing HIVIAIDS and includes among others, basic information about transmission, treatment, key messages about preventing HIV, issues pertaining to Sexuality Education, universal precautions, managing incidents and accidents on the sports-field and at school, stigmatization, discrimination and guidelines for developing a school policy on HIV/AIDS.
The National Policy on HIV/AIDS (1999) stipulates that a continuing HIV/AIDS education programme should be implemented at all schools for all learners, educators and other staff. In addition, age-appropriate education on HIV/AIDS should form part of the compulsory curriculum for all learners and should be integrated in the life-skills education programme for pre-primary, primary and secondary schoolleamers. This programme should be ongoing and its' content should not be presented in isolation but should be integrated in the whole curriculum.
The goal of HIVIAIDS education is to promote behaviour that prevents the
transmission of HIVIAIDS (Department of Education, 1999). The National Policy on HIVIAIDS (1999) advocates that information on HIVIAIDS, be given in an accurate and scientific manner, and in language and terms that are understandable to the learners. According to Schostak (1993), the language employed within the context of HIVIAIDS education tends to be judgmental in nature and the manner in which sexuality is presented is not always positive. It is for these reasons that it becomes imperative that we examine the language employed by teachers in the execution of HIVIAIDS education initiatives.
Learning the behavioural skills necessary for prevention, fonns the major content of this curriculum. Boler (2003) asserts that teaching learners about HIV/AIDS requires a frank and explicit discussion of sexuality, modes of transmission and methods of protection. In light of the above discussion, one may raise the following questions:
"Are educators equipped with the necessary skills and I010wledge necessGlY to
communicate openly and comfortably about the many controversial issues
surrounding the discourses on HIVIAIDS? How has educators' levels of training and engagement with policies and related materials on HIVIAIDS, informed their understanding of the terms and concepts commonly associated with HIVIAIDS? How are the interpretations of these terms and concepts influenced by the teachers' own cultural belieft and ideologies? What assumptions are made about the learners' cultural belie ft. existing knowledge and experiences? How has this translated into practice through the learning activities that teachers employ within the classroom context? What styles of teaching do teachers use to enhance the understanding of learners about these terms and concepts? Do these teaching approaches support the intended outcomes of HIVIAIDS education?" These are some of the issues that will be explored in this study.
2.13. A Review of Studies on HIV/AIDS Education Conducted at Schools in