Department of Education

1
Department of Educations HIV/AIDS Strategy

• Presentation to the Education Portfolio Committee
• 28 August 2001

2
Background

• Core business is to educate, build skills and
  inculcate values necessary for a vibrant
  democratic SA
• Response to HIV/AIDS is based on what we are best
  placed to do
• The opportunity to turn epidemic around
• We have a captive audience
• Priority of all priorities

3
Programme 1

• Two pronged approach
• HIV/AIDS and the Education system
• HIV/AIDS and the beneficiaries/people within the
  system

4
HIV/AIDS the System

• Need to protect the system to ensure continued
  supply and demand of education
• Develop tools and planning models to facilitate
  analysis and understanding of the impact
• Align legislation, policies, strategies
• Improve monitoring and evaluation systems
• Establish dedicated capacity to deal with
  HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Unit, strengthen HIV/AIDS
  management at national and provincial levels

5
HIV/AIDS the curriculum

• HIV/AIDS and Life skills is curriculum policy
  as per new curriculum 2005, implemented in Grade
  1-9
• Resume of Instructional programmes in public
  schools Report 550 (NATED 550) provides for
  Guidance, Health Education as compulsory
  offerings from Grade 10-12
• Governments conditional grant to address
  HIV/AIDS within the curriculum as part of an
  integrated approach with Depts. Of Health and
  Social Development
• All provincial DoEs have funded business plans to
  implement this programme

6
HIV/AIDS curriculum

• Strengthen implementation of Life skills and
  HIV/AIDS programme within curriculum
• Integrate HIV/AIDS across the curriculum and
  provide guidelines for educators
• Develop programmes for Early Childhood Education
  and Learners with special needs
• Work with SAUVCA to develop and implement
  HIV/AIDS programmes in Higher Education
  institutions
• Support the inclusion of HIV/AIDS into
  pre-service training by tertiary institutions

7
HIV/AIDS and learners

• Establish an identification and support system
  for learners in distress / orphaned
• Facilitate access to services through the
  integrated approach
• Communicate SA schools Act and HIV/AIDS policy
  and their application to teachers
• Develop guidelines for educators to assist with
  this
• Promote school as a center of support and hope
  for communities

8
HIV/AIDS at work

• HIV/AIDS policy for CS Educators
• HIV/AIDS policy for Public Servants
• Workplace programme developed and adapted for
  schools as a workplace
• Programme includes preventive promotive
  education, care, support, counseling management
  training
• Involvement of educators living with HIV/AIDS

9
Progress

• All nine provinces are implementing the
  curriculum-based HIV/AIDS programme
• Implementation of this programme needs to be
  strengthened
• Enforcement of national policies e.g
  teacher-learner sexual relations, HIV/AIDS,rights
  of learners under Schools Act.
• Workplace policy and programme guideline
• Higher Education programme developed and
  implementation to begin

10
Other initiatives

• Peer education to strengthen curriculum based
  initiatives
• Inclusion of Sexuality and Life skills Education
  into sports and ball games
• Strengthening of partnerships with CBOs, NGOs and
  other government Departments

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Conclusion

• HIV/AIDS dictates non-traditional, out of the
  box responses
• Need to attack from all angles
• Integrated, comprehensive approach seems to be
  the way forward