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At the level of the learner
The question of quality can be looked at specifically from the perspective of those affected or infected by HIV and AIDS. From the perspective of the learner, there are a number of dimensions to consider, including the needs and perspectives of those with HIV or who come from AIDS-affected households, children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS, what is taught in school regarding HIV and AIDS, and how these issues intersect with all aspects of the learning environment.
Children and adolescents affected or infected by HIV and AIDS are among the most disadvantaged. They are more likely to be subjected to the worst forms of child labour, and often have less access to education due to increased poverty and lack of parental support. The impact may begin when a parent is diagnosed with HIV or falls ill with AIDS-related infections or diseases. For example, in a study of children and adolescents aged 13 to 18 with one or both parents living with HIV in Uganda, there was a decline in school attendance of 26 percent, and a reported decline in educational performance of 28 percent (Gilborn et al. 2001).
Orphaned children are often more likely to drop out of school or to repeat grades. In a UNICEF review of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) from 1997 to 2001, orphans aged 10 to 14 in all 14 countries studied were less likely to still be in school than children of the same age with both parents still alive or those living with at least one parent . In Malawi, a recent study found that repetition rates for children were 5 to 15 percent higher (depending on cohort and grade) than for children with living parents. Repetition increases class size, reduces efficiency, and can put girls at risk when older boys join the class (Harris and Schubert 2001).
As there is evidence that if orphans have guardians they are more likely to participate in education, there is a need to consider how education can work with other institutions to address this issue (Ainsworth and Filmer 2002, UNAIDS IATT on Education 2003). Schools must find creative ways of seeking out children from households affected by HIV and AIDS, working with learners and their families, extended families and communities to play their part in the creation of a supportive environment for children affected by HIV and AIDS, one that can support these children to re-main in school, learn and fulfil their right to education. The pandemic is also affecting the numbers of potential learners. While increases in school-age population are expected to continue in most countries, estimates by the US Census Bureau suggest that there will be a reduction in the school-age population in 6 of the 26 countries worst affected by AIDS by 2015 (World Bank 2002). The World Bank has projected that Zimbabwe will experience a 24 percent reduction in primary school population by 2010. In Zambia the differential will be 20 percent, while Kenya and Uganda will face 14 percent and 12 percent reductions, respectively (Goliber 2000). In Swaziland, the Ministry of Education estimated in 1999 that the number of six year olds was 6 percent lower than it would have been in the absence of AIDS. The same study estimated that by 2016, there would be 30 percent fewer six year olds and 17 percent fewer 18 year olds (Carr-Hill 2002). The pandemic is responsible for a certain level of scepticism regarding the value of education caused by hopelessness and fatalism among students and their families and communities. Thus, education needs, more than ever, to be attractive in order to engage and maintain learners.
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