ORF and
CHAPTER 5: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
5.2 Analysis of Curricula integrating HP//AIDS education
5.2.2 Vertical and horizontal organization of HIV/AIDS knowledge
In Chapter 3, I established a difference between horizontal and vertical organization of knowledge. In Chapter 4,1 expressed my intention to analyze the relationships between HIV/AIDS education and other subjects and to analyze different sentences looking for the instructional theory. In this chapter, we saw how the Ministry of Education has been reluctant to determine the "what and the how" of instruction of grade 9. The Ministry of Education, by suggesting "discussion and synthesis", would like to invite teachers and learners to find a way to share their experiences. Nothing is clear on this point.
At all the three schools, HIV/AIDS education is taught in Biology, Educational Policy, Domestic Economy, Religion and Geography. This list corresponds 100% to the findings from the Heads of academics of Gitarama-Province and all teachers of Butare's schools that answered the questions. I examined the curricula of Domestic Economy in grade 7, Biology in grade 9, Religion in grade 8 and 12, Geography in grade 10 and Educational Policy in grade 11.
Different themes are tackled due to the grades. The following table shows us an overview of those themes.
Table 5.2: HIV/AIDS' themes through different grades
Grade 7
8
9
10 11
12
Program Domestic economy Religion
BIOLOGY
Geography Educational policy Religion
Themes
Notion on HIV/AIDS
Socio- economic consequenses Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, Behaviors
Mutual respect between individuals STDs + AIDS:
Naming the STDs
Modes of transmission of AIDS Strategies of prevention of AIDS
Advice relative to behaviors faced with the STDs and AIDS.
Socio-demographic issues Socio-economic consequences
Religious attitudes:
Avoidance of adulterous behavior Maintenance of familial harmony Supporting the widows and orphans of HIV/AIDS.
The above table shows us that some themes that are tackled in HIV/AIDS education in Biology of grade 9 are also tackled in others grades. For example, the curriculum of Religion offers the best area to provide strategies and advice on prevention (grades 8 and 1 2), c ontemporary issues s uch as socio-demographic i ssues (Geography in grade 10) and socio-economic issues (Domestic Economy in grade 7 and Educational Policy in grade 1 1). The relationships within HIV/AIDS area are observed showing and are frequent referencing. The programs for Domestic Economy in grade 7 and Religion in grade 8 seem to be the introduction to programs for grade 9. Indeed, the students have been clear in answering question 1: "In which subject did you learn most about the disease?" The answer was Biology for 27 of 46 students (59%) of GBO; 31 of 49 students (63%) of GBP; and 21 of 40 students (52%) of PBV. The remaining percentages are shared in descending order between Religion, Domestic Economy and Educational Policy.
HIV/AIDS education in grade 9 has substantial referencing to the content from other subject areas mainly from Religion, Domestic Economy, Geography and Educational Policy. It refers also to previous and future themes in other grades. In addition to contemporary issues that are linked to the disease, HIV/AIDS education in grade 9 also focuses largely on the bio-medical aspects. The question remains whether HIV/AIDS school education should not have its own knowledge structure. The Ugandan organization shows that there is another way to tackle the disease through Biology.
Despite the fact that HIV/AIDS education is tackled under various aspects, the Ugandan strategies of organization differ from Rwandan strategies.
A comparative study between the Rwandan and Ugandan policies on HIV/AIDS education shows some similarities and differences as we can see in the following table.
Table 5.3: Comparison between Rwandan and Ugandan HIV/AIDS policies
Integration
Uganda
-HIV/AIDS is integrated in all science subjects especially in Biology through Health Education.
Rwanda
-HIV/AIDS is integrated in Biology,
educational Policy, Geography, Religion and Domestic Economy
Comments
~ Uganda and Rwanda integrate HIV/AIDS in other school subjects, especially in Biology.
- The Ugandan policy is
Content
Material aids
- HIV/AIDS in Biology stretches through all grades of secondary schools
Formal official detailed content through Health Education focusing on:
- Generalities of HIV/AIDS:
definitions, modes of transmission and strategies of prevention within common STDs
Concerns with personal health and hygiene including counseling and testing
Concerns with personal
relationships with all members of society and self
Concerns with environment
- A Special AIDS pack
- A Safer Living, Safer Loving manual for students
- Teacher's guide
HIV/AIDS is integrated only in Biology's curriculum of grade 9
Official themes on:
Generalities of HIV/AIDS: Definitions, modes of transmission and strategies of prevention and tackled through the STDs.
- Relationships with the infected persons - Impact on personal and society
Booklet in Kinyarwanda for both the primary and secondary schools.
vertically organized in Biology at all grades. It is well organized horizontally through different themes in health education.
- Rwandan policy is horizontally organized through different subjects.
- Both curricula tackle the biological aspects of HIV/AIDS. Other aspects relating to relationships and society are very limited in Rwandan policy and counseling and testing are not taken into consideration.
"Ugandan policy has a n
elaborated content through health education implying more the everyday knowledge, traditional and religious attitudes and how they intersect with HIV/AIDS than Rwandan policy.
- The Rwandan policy seems to be theoretical while the Ugandan policy looks like practical.
- Rwandan schools lack
didactic manuals (examples: Teacher' Guide and Students' manual).
Allocation of
timetable HIV/AIDS in biology program
General teaching methods
- 40% of Health Education and 60%
of Biology
Participatory learning (interactive methods)
- Invitation of guest speakers
- Two weeks in the entire school year in terms of 2 periods per week (100 minutes)
Discussions and synthesis
Rwandan policy allocates a short time to
HIV/AIDS in comparison to Uganda.
Generally, school years in Rwanda vary between 36 and 38 weeks. This means HIV/AIDS program is offered in 2 o f 3 6 o r 3 8 weeks (6%) while Biology takes the remaining weeks (94%).
- In Rwanda, talk and chalk are used in the detriment of the proposed approach of
discussions and syntheses