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The paper includes a matrix with concrete examples of how education systems have responded to HIV and AIDS. It also demonstrates that there are significant data and practice gaps including, for example, data on the impact of HIV on education systems and educators, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnicity and socio-economic background. While much is known about the impact of HIV and AIDS on education systems in the hardest-hit areas of the world (notably sub-Saharan Africa), there is less evidence in other areas. At the same time, national statistics may mask significant local variations. More information is also needed on legal and policy frameworks that have success-fully addressed inclusion and discrimination, the status of teachers and other educational staff affected or infected by HIV, and all forms of violence in education. More baseline assessments are required, as well as reliable and valid data collection on a routine basis, particularly to unpack the complex impacts of multiple interventions.
The paper concludes with a number of implications and conclusions. These include the need to overcome the de-nial that HIV and AIDS is priority for education. Individuals must recognise the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives and institutions and systems need to change to be both reactive and responsive to HIV and AIDS. There must be a focus on inclusion in education with a rights-based learning environment, which may involve efforts to make schools more affordable and accessible. It is important to recognise that gender issues are key to the problem, with growing evidence showing that these influence transmission, infection and impact of HIV and AIDS. Education sector staff practices and preparation should be emphasised. Educators need to understand their responsibilities as teach-ers, mentors and role models, and may need to change both their classroom behaviours as well as their interactions with communities, parents and educational leaders. Policies are also needed to protect teachers and other school staff in the workplace. There is a need to acknowledge that curriculum is far more than what is taught; learning also comes from informal education and observation, practice, hearing, praise and ‘body language’. Treatment education should also be introduced as a priority, linking to comprehensive prevention, care and treatment interventions. Several initiatives, such as counselling and general health education, deserve special attention, analysis and emphasis. Finally it is necessary to identify and reinforce elements of education plans that take account of HIV and AIDS. The primary concern is learning and, there-fore, the relationship between the learner and the educator is critical. But the inputs, processes, results and outcomes that surround and foster, or hamper, learning are key as well. All of these can be seen as affecting learning at two levels—at the level of the learner in her or his learning environment (adult or child, formal or non-formal) and at the level of the system that creates and supports the learning experience.1 Each of these two levels can be divided into five dimensions. These ten dimensions of quality education are presented in this paper to demonstrate how each of these dimensions can and must take the HIV and AIDS pandemic into account. The following figure summarises the quality framework, representing a shift of emphasis from ‘educating’ to ‘learning.’ Learning is at the centre, and it is surrounded by two levels. The inner one is that of the level of the learner and the outer one is the level of the learning system. Both of these levels operate within a specific con-text which can vary considerably from lo-cation to location.
Quality education at the level of the learner:
1. Seeks out learners – from households affected by HIV and AIDS through creative ways, working with them, their families and communities to support learning and fulfil the right to education.
2. Acknowledges what the learner brings – to take into account the experiences of learners to enhance their own and others learning.
3. Considers the content of formal and non-formal learning – including factual and comprehensive content on HIV and AIDS that is age- and sex-specific, and introduced in the context of practical life skills on how to protect and respect oneself and others.
4. Enhances learning processes – with emphasis on inclusion, participation and dialogue. Stigma and discrimination from classmates, teachers, parents and communities must be avoided and addressed so it does not exclude children from AIDS-affected households from learning.
5. Provides a conducive learning environment – with the goal of ensuring safe, secure and supportive schools and other learning environments. This includes addressing all forms of violence, providing adequate hygiene and sanitation facilities, and ensuring access to health and nutrition services.
Quality education at the level of learning system:
1. Structures management and administration to support learning – through the promotion of openness and transparency to allow a dialogue on HIV and AIDS and the right of all to learn and have access to education.
2. Implements relevant and appropriate policies – that are the foundation for safe, secure and supportive learning environments and that take ac-count of the epidemic.
3. Promotes the establishment of legislation supportive to learning – through a legislative framework supporting the right to education covering all aspects of the relationship between HIV and AIDS and education.
4. Restructures resources for learning – bearing in mind the increasing demands caused by HIV and AIDS on human and fi nancial resources to ensure the provision of education for all.
5. Measures learning outcomes – to work towards a fair system of education without inadvertently discriminating against those affected by HIV and AIDS.
It is now well established that HIV and AIDS is significantly affecting the sup-ply of, demand for, and quality of education. Countries heavily affected by HIV and AIDS are experiencing severe losses in their teaching forces due to teacher illness or death, to care for family, or through transfers to other government or private sectors to replace personnel lost to AIDS (UNAIDS IATT on Education 2002). At the same time, children and adolescents are finding it more difficult to at-tend and remain in school for the same reasons, and because they may be needed to help with household chores or to supplement family labour or in-come. Even uninfected teachers are often poorly equipped to deal with the impact of the pandemic on their work (Carr-Hill 2002). These dynamics place enormous strain on learning achievement, requiring reconsideration of what must be done to protect and support educational quality, and to maintain progress towards the achievement of EFA goals. All educators need to ensure that education reduces risk and vulnerability while providing all learners with a quality education that is meaningful in the 21st Century.
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