SCHOOLBASED APPROACHES TO HIV PREVENTION: A Critical Review Anna Maria HOFFMANN Project Officer HIVA

1
SCHOOL-BASED APPROACHES TO HIV PREVENTION A
Critical Review Anna Maria HOFFMANN Project
Officer HIV/AIDS and Life Skills Education
Rick OLSONTeam Leader - HIV Prevention with and
for Adolescents
2
Understanding the overall focus

• Out-of-school approaches with a more direct focus
  on children and adolescents most at-risk
  especially vulnerable with interventions aimed at
  breaking the chain of HIV transmission (UNGASS
  para.46a).
• School-based approaches focusing on getting ahead
  of the virus among less-at-risk-children and
  early adolescents with longer-term learning
  outcomes of life skills required for sound life
  decisions and protection (UNGASS para. 53).

3
Understanding the overall focus

• Targets a large and heterogeneous group and aims
  at developing skills and attitudes for freedoms
  of choice.
• Needs to take into account system obligations and
  actions, for regular and sustainable
  interventions.
• Priority in countries with a generalized HIV/AIDS
  pandemic and with high school participation rates.

4
The protective role of education

• Rwanda percentage of young women and men 15-24y
  with comprehensive and correct knowledge of
  HIV/AIDS increased with the level of education.
• Zambia Young women 15-24y with secondary and
  higher education more likely to delay sex.
• Zimbabwe girls 15-18y in school are more than
  five times less likely to have HIV than those who
  have dropped out.

5
The pro-active role of education

• Botswana Telling The Story shows childrens wish
  for more child friendly, gender sensitive and
  rights-based criteria for schools.
• Lesotho Review of the school curriculum to make
  HIV/AIDS, gender and life skills core subject
  within the primary and secondary school
  curriculum.
• Malawi Primary schools use child-centered
  methods and mobilizing communities for girls
  education, child protection and life skills to
  address HIV/AIDS.
• Namibia Extension of the secondary school
  initiative My Future is My Choice to Window of
  Hope for primary schools with life skills for HIV
  prevention.

6
Guiding frameworks

• Relevant - accurate, clear and complete
  information and related skills.
• Appropriate - age, knowledge and experience of
  the learner.
• Effective - learner-centered interactive
  participatory teaching and learning methods.
• Comprehensive combining education with
  protective school policies and learning
  environments, and link to community services.
• Sustainable - policies, capacities and
  partnerships.

7
Checklist

• Addresses relevant issues taking into account
  local traditions.
• Ensures childrens full and participation in the
  planning and implementation of the activities.
• Targets specific needs of girls and boys at
  different stages of life.
• Aims at identified goals, using clear, full and
  accurate information and focusing on related life
  skills acquisition.
• Relies on trained and motivated teachers that use
  inter-active and participatory methods for
  observing and practicing skills.
• Associates teaching learning with a supportive
  learning environment that is healthy, protective
  and safe.
• Reaches out to communities for coherent and
  supported messages.
• Includes links with and to community services.
• Is coordinated by protective and inclusive
  policies.
• Incorporates proper monitoring and evaluation.

8
Drivers for change

• Societal norms and freedoms to exercise choice
• acknowledge and confront issues related to
  sexuality, gender, and age.
• Political and economical situation and access to
  resources and power
• commitment to question societal structures which
  exclude, stigmatize and/or marginalize
• commitment to pursue outcomes which challenge
  power structures restricting young people.