MEETING OF THE SADC MINISTERS OF
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT SECTOR
MAURITIUS
11
– 12 JULY 2002
THEMATIC DISCUSSION ON
HIV/AIDS AND EDUCATION
Led
by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education
Kingdom
of Lesotho
Hon.
Lesao Archibald Lehohla
1
Introduction:
1.1
Since the SADC Protocol on Education and Training entered into force
on the 30th July 2000, a number of efforts have been advanced by
the HRD SCU to mainstream the fight against HIV/AIDS in our joint regional
efforts.
At
a meeting SADC HRD Ministers held in Arusha, Tanzania in June 2001 the
following took place:
1.1.1
Ministers decided that one of the themes to be discussed in this
meeting will be HIV/AIDS and Education and Lesotho was asked
to lead the discussion.
1.1.2
Ministers approved the establishment of a subcommittee of Ministers
chaired by Swaziland on the restructuring of SADC. Among its Terms of
Reference the committee was to propose amendment to the protocol to cater
for, among others, HIV/AIDS issues. It has since been learned that an
undertaking has been made by the Review Committee to address the issue in
the amendment of the Protocol on Education and Training.
1.1.3
Ministers approved the SADC HIV/AIDS in Education Strategic
Framework in principle and directed the SADC HRD SCU and the
subcommittee to develop a detailed Action Plan for Implementation. Ministers
also approved the engagement of a fulltime coordinator for the
implementation of the Education and Training Sector HIV/AIDS programme.
1.2
A number of initiatives to mainstream HIV/AIDS in the Region’s
education systems have been observed. For example:
1.2.1
The University of Natal’s HERD with the support of the Ford
Foundation mounted a training workshop for education managers and planners
in the region in Durban in July – August 2001. The focus of the workshop
was the Development of Management and Mitigation Skills to Counter
HIV/AIDS Impact on Education Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participants
came from six of the SADC member states.
1.2.2
A number of research
projects have been undertaken in our region in the past decade, at regional,
national, sector and sub-sector levels, to measure and document the impact
and implications of HIV/AIDS on Education. The yet unpublished study by Roy
Car-Hill and others under the auspices of the IIEP and funded by DFID in
2000 titled “Understanding the Impact of HIV/AIDS in Education in
Selected Eastern and Southern African Countries” is worth noting.
1.2.3
We also note with appreciation the inclusion of HIV/AIDS as a cross
cutting issue in the strategic plans of all the HRD Technical Committees
including the Education Policy Support Initiative (ESPI).
1.3
The SADC HIV/AIDS in Education Strategic Framework provides a
basis for our effort to combat HIV/AIDS and its ill effects in Education.
The issues tabled for discussion and consideration by Ministers in this
document will be superimposed on the following strategic objectives proposed
in the framework:
1.3.1
To create a conducive environment for action against HIV/AIDS in the
education and training sector at national and regional levels;
1.3.2
To develop and implement mechanisms and strategies for mitigating the
impact of HIV/AIDS on learners, teachers pre and in-service student
teachers, educators and the education system as a whole; and
1.3.3
To develop and implement mechanisms and strategies for preventing the
spread of HIV/AIDS in the education and training sector.
2
CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR
ACTION AGAINST HIV/AIDS
Whereas individual member states may have national plans for
combating HIV/AIDS, given that our region ranks very high in the incidence
of AIDS cases and HIV infection rates in the world, our joint effort is
inevitable. While prevention of new infections especially in the
school-going age group should remain our top priority, we should brace
ourselves for the worse before things start improving. We should join effort
to commission studies on the impact and implications of HIV/AIDS in
education, build capacity for teaching, research and management of HIV/AIDS
programmes, strengthen multi-sectoral initiatives, ensure the infusion of
HIV/AIDS issues in all Human Resource Development strategies under the
Protocol on Education and Training at national and regional levels. Most
importantly, we have to mobilise resources for research, training, and
regional liaison in our efforts to reverse the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS
in education.
2.1
Research and Inquiry on Impact and Implications of AIDS
While
some research has been carried out and documents published on the ill
effects of AIDS on our national and regional economies and on the
demographic implications of this killer disease, relatively little has been
researched on the impact of AIDS on the education sector and implications of
its effects on current and future supply of education. At macro-level
appropriate indicators for assessing the impact of HIV/AIDS on education
include enrolment trends, irregular school attendance, dropout and promotion
rates, the growth rate on the number of orphaned children, rapid increase of
child-headed families, and death rates of teachers, student teachers and
learners at different levels of education.
2.1.1
HRD
Ministers are, therefore, requested to consider instructing the SADC
Department of Strategic Planning, Gender and Policy Harmonisation, to
promote sharing of existing research documents on the impact and
implications of HIV/AIDS on education and training in the SADC region both
at local, provincial, national and regional levels. The outcome should be a
comprehensive data bank of all validated research documents on HIV/AIDS in
the region.
2.1.2
Ministers
are also called upon to consider delegating HRD Senior Officers to commit a
minimum percentage (to be decided) of National Education and Training
budgets to research and data collection on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the
sector.
2.2
Building Capacity for Teaching, Research and Management of HIV/AIDS
Programmes
A
deliberate effort need to be made to ensure that all educators and education
managers are provided with the withal to deal competently with all
challenges emerging in their workplaces as a result of HIV/AIDS and its
effects on access, quality, equity and efficiency in education and training.
2.2.1
Ministers are requested to consider a decision to assign the SADC
Secretariat to identify institutions in the SADC region and beyond that
provide training related to HIV/AIDS for educators and education managers.
2.2.2
Ministers are requested to consider assigning Senior Officers to
explore possibilities of enhancing capacity by including in national
Education Information Management Systems (EMIS) data related to HIV/AIDS
such as mortality rates for educators and learners, incidences of orphans,
incidences of absence for learners and educators, etc.
2.2.3
In order to ensure continuity and coordination across sub-sectors in
HRD, and liaison with other sectors on HIV/AIDS related activities, member
states should consider establishing fulltime positions for HIV/AIDS
coordinators in education. Such offices once established should be
adequately resourced to be equal to the task in hand.
2.2.4
A further appeal is made to Ministers to mandate institutions of
higher education to establish positions or units responsible for HIV/AIDS
where this is not yet done.
2.3
Multi-sectoral Approach to combating AIDS
Whereas
HIV and AIDS are in their nature health-related problems, it is common
acknowledge that the fight against the epidemic and its manifest effects has
to be based on partnerships by all of society. The time-lapse between the
occurrence of infection of a person by HIV to the death of a patient from
AIDS related diseases, which can be up to ten years say, means that the
problem is not just about sickness. This makes multi-sectoral coordination a
sine qua non in fighting the pandemic. Cooperation and partnerships
with the Health Sector, Non-governmental organisations and the private
sector at national and regional level must be actively promoted.
2.3.1
HRD
Ministers may consider assigning the SADC Secretariat to ensure
representation of the HRD in all regional working groups on HIV/IDS formed
under the auspices of the SADC Treaty.
2.3.2
Ministers
are yet requested to ensure that Member States take stock all NGOs and
private sector organisations activity involved in projects related to
combating HIV/AIDS at national, regional, continental and global levels for
possible multilateral partnership with the SADC Social Human Development
Gender and Special Programmes Directorate.
2.4
Infusion of HIV/AIDS issues in all HRD strategies at Regional and
National level.
The
different HRD sub-sectors as reflected by the Strategic Plans of their
Technical Committees, have made a gallant attempt to infuse HIV/AIDS
activities. This position needs to be reinforced by ensuring coordination
and monitoring of efforts to ascertain that these issues are not
marginalized or relegated in priority during the finalisation of the
Regional Indicative Strategic Plan. This coordination task could form the
core of the terms of reference for the fulltime coordinator for the
implementation of the Framework for HIV/AIDS in the Education and Training
Sector, whose engagement Ministers approved in 2001.
2.5
Resource Mobilisation for Action Against AIDS in Education.
Our
national governments have to show their commitment to the fight against
HIV/AIDS by allocating resources to HIV/AIDS programmes in all sectors
including Human Resource Development. Nevertheless, given the competing
needs for limited national resources, our sector needs to be proactive to
mobilise supplementary funds from our development partners and the private
sector.
2.5.1
Speaking at the World
Food Summit: five years later, in June 2002, UNAIDS Director
Marika Fahlen said, “A dual tragedy has hit sub-Saharan Africa... where
lack of food is greatest, HIV prevalence is alarmingly high. The two
emergencies are not mutually exclusive." She went on further to note
that “Evidence confirms that it is no coincidence that six of the
countries in Southern Africa presently experiencing the worst food shortages
in a decade have particularly high HIV prevalence levels.” The state of
famine that has hit the sub-continent will continue to require national
governments to direct more resources towards addressing the immediate need
for food. We need to take full advantage, therefore, of assistance made
available by our development partners, such as the US$500 million that the
US government has pledged for fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa.
2.5.2
Some NGOs operating in our countries have established programmes that are
funded by local and multinational companies in the production and
broadcasting of HIV/AIDS materials, especially targeting children and the
youth. Our sector needs to strengthen partnerships with such NGOs at local,
national and regional levels.
2.5.3
The HRD SCU also needs to continue with established partnerships with
associations such as the Ford Foundation, IIEP, DFID, etc. Private companies
with HIV/AIDS education programmes already operational in some of our
countries should be enticed to extend their initiatives to more countries in
the region.
2.5.4
Our region in general and our sector in particular need to take full
advantage of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in the
context of the Harare Programme of Action for the Decade of Education in
Africa. We must be proactive in highlighting the role that education and
training has to play providing the human resource base for our development
and the threat that HIV/AIDS poses to our endeavours.
3
MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF
HIV/AIDS ON THE HRD SECTOR
Whereas
the need to conduct regular impact assessment studies of HIV/AIDS on
education is unquestionable, we may not have to wait for the results of such
research to start employing mitigating measures for the obvious damage that
HIV/AIDS is causing on our sector.
3.1
The fact that the pandemic has multiple and negative effects on the demand
for education, the supply for education, the quality and management of
education in individual learning posts and in the whole region is
undisputable.
3.1.1
Whereas our region is
determined and on course to meet the Education For All goals, there is
uncertainty about the future demand for education in the light of possible
and apparent declines in the number of school-going-age children. Enrolments
in secondary, intermediate and tertiary education may also be negatively
affected by the demise of breadwinners in households.
3.1.2
The quality of learning outcomes and education will be affected by
several confounding factors, which will emerge as the pandemic takes a
deeper hold in our region. In
the 2001 AIDS epidemic update, UNAIDS reports that in 1999 alone, an
estimated 860,000 children lost their teachers to AIDS in sub-Saharan
Africa. Already, education systems have begun to experience increased
problems of loss of inspectors, teachers, education officers, planners and
management personnel. There will be a less qualified teaching force in time,
as trained and experienced teachers are replaced with younger and less
qualified teachers.
3.2
In the absence of clear policy guidelines on HIV/AIDS in learning
institutions and in the public service in general, other ill effects of the
epidemic leave educators and education managers with unprecedented
challenges. Among them the common ones are:
·
The social stigma attached to
AIDS sufferers and the subsequent intolerance, discrimination and ultimate
fear to disclose HIV status.
·
Social taboos restricting open
communication on sex and sexually transmitted diseases between adults and
children emanating from cultural or religious believes.
·
The inability to provide of
counselling and social support for learners and educators affected or
infected by HIV/AIDS.
·
High incidence of orphans,
widows and widowers as a result of AIDS deaths.
·
Cryptic xenophobia associated
with myths about HIV/AIDS.
·
Unprecedented absenteeism from
work resulting form AIDS related illnesses or death in the family.
3.3
As the depletion of our human resource base across all sectors takes
its tall, the challenge remains with the HRD sector to make up for the
losses in skilled labour, not to mention bridging our inherent deficit in
skilled labour compounded by the brain drain.
3.4
Policy Options
The
SADC HRD sector needs to explore policy options for individual states and
for the SADC Community to address the challenged above. Since member states
are at different levels of progress in addressing these issues, there is
need to exchange notes and harmonise our policies on HIV/AIDS in schools in
pursuit of the our Protocol Objectives. Some of the policy areas for
consideration by Ministers would include:
·
Seeking to
optimise utilisation of physical and human resources in the event of reduced
demand for education.
·
Explore
combining educational provision with care and welfare for orphaned children.
·
Establishing
policy guidelines for educators whose regular work attendance is affected by
HIV/AIDS related factors.
·
Proving
training opportunities for educators as counsellors on HIV/AIDS, STIs and
sex education in general.
·
Creating an
environment in the education arena where social stereotypes, myths and
taboos that promote the spread of STIs and AIDS can be challenged and
learners provided an opportunity to make informed choices about their lives.
·
Institutionalising
HIV/AIDS education in all centres of learning by all learners.
4
STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION OF
THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS
4.1
More
infants are born HIV positive; youth become sexually active from ages as
young as fourteen; and UNAIDS reports that in Southern Africa at least 20%
of people aged 15 – 49 are already infected. We need to take advantage of
a window of opportunity to safe the primary school-going children in the age
bracket between five and thirteen where levels of infection are relatively
low. Intensive and aggressive education of our children on health,
population and family life education including STIs and HIV at appropriate
ages is an opportunity we still have to reverse the adverse effects of HIV
on our region. Special care has to be taken to include HIV-related
life-skills education in school curricula and to extend peer education to
young people.
4.2
Since
our opportunities to acquire antiretroviral drugs at relatively affordable
prices are encouraging, we may be able to reduce the number of children born
HIV positive. The biggest challenge is educating sexually active youths and
adults in changing their sex habits, we cannot afford to stop teaching them
to minimise sex partners and to use condoms. Some of our countries are
already experiencing declining prevalence of HIV mainly as a result of
successful campaigning on safe sex.
4.3
Our biggest
challenge in education is the disturbingly high rate of sexual activity
among teenagers in secondary and intermediate education. We will soon have
to face up to the reality that while there may be moral questions about
teaching safe sex to children, whether or not we approve they are sexually
active. Comparative studies elsewhere suggest that children who are informed
on sexual matters are not necessarily more sexually active nor are they more
promiscuous; even when they are, they are less likely to contract STIs
including HIV as they would practise safe sex in any event.
4.4
Whereas in most of our countries HIV/AIDS education programmes have
been running for the better part of the past two decades, many of our people
still don’t know as much about AIDS as we would assume. UNAIDS reports
that “Although they are exceptionally vulnerable to the epidemic, millions
of young African women are dangerously ignorant about HIV/AIDS.”
The reluctance of people to test for HIV, the failure to disclose
their status by those who have tested positive, and the reluctance of
families to disclose causes of death of AIDS victims are still common. These
factors contribute in no small way in the denial by the less enlightened in
our society that AIDS is a reality.
4.5
While the ultimate responsibility of using acquired knowledge to
change behaviour and minimise the risk of infection remains with the
individual, one of the major challenges is that of cohesive sex in the
context of rape, child abuse, and substance abuse, especially in learning
establishments. Honourable Ministers should consider formulation of policies
that vigorously regulate codes of conduct for educators to protect learners,
especially children, against indiscriminate educators and other caregivers.
4.6
Cultural myths about ill health in general and AIDS related sickness
in particular continue to influence perceptual, behavioural and health
practices in our HIV/AIDS riddled societies. There is, therefore, a big task
to aggressively challenge these myths since they promote its rapid spread
and exacerbate its impact.
5
CONCLUSION
The HRD
sector at regional and national level has to join the Health sector as the
vanguard in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Purposeful, ongoing and coordinated
research on the effect of this scourge in our sector will form a sound basis
for policy decisions. In the meantime we need to deploy resources in
softening the blow of HIV/AIDS on our education systems. We cannot start too
soon to put our full effort to reverse the rate of infection of our people,
especially the children and youth in our schools. Given the progress that
some of our countries have made in all these endeavours, our Protocol goals
require us to have coordinated policy and strategic initiatives in facing
this challenge.
I thank you for your attention.
References:
1.
Carr-Hill, R, et al, 2000, Understanding the impact of HIV/AIDS on
education systems in selected Eastern and Southern African countries (Unpublished
document).
2.
UNAIDS, 2002, Statement by Marika Flahlen, Director, UNAIDS Social
Mobilisation and Information at the World Food Summit: Five years later,
on 12 June 2002, (http:/www.unaids.org/whatsnew/speeches/2002.)
3. UNAIDS/WHO; 2001, AIDS Epidemic update 2001 (http:/www.unaids.org) Geneva Switzerland.
12 JULY, 2002