HIV

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HIV AIDS and the Education Sector in Lesotho

• Presented on behalf of Paramente Phamotse
• by Chris Castle
• Centro Banamex Mexico City
• 5 August 2008

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About Lesotho
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• In Southern Africa
• Population 1.8 million
• Per Capita GNP (2005) USD758
• population below poverty line 58 (2000)
• Ranked 149th in the 2006 UN Human Development
  Index
  
• Net enrolment in primary education in 2006
  83.5

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HIV and AIDS in Lesotho
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• 3rd highest prevalence of HIV in the world
• More than 20 of its children orphaned, many more
  are vulnerable
  
• HIV prevalence for adults estimated at 23 in
  2005
  
• Over 60 of the population is under 24 years of
  age
  
• More women and girls affected by HIV and AIDS

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Orphan Projections in selected SSA Countries
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Rationale for a strong education sector response
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• HIV AIDS is weakening the education system,
  undermining EFA goals
  
• Challenges exist in the provision of adequate
  basic services (water, sanitation, nutrition,
  health etc.) to schools
  
• Schools need to respond to the changing needs of
  learners and educators
  

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The Response
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• Assisting educators infected by HIV to access
  treatment and keep teaching
  
• Expanding educational opportunities for all
  especially OVC
  
• Introducing HIV and AIDS into the school
  curriculum
  
• Improving Sector Capacity to Manage HIV and AIDS
• Strengthening Schools as Centres for Care and
  Support
  

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Assisting HIV-Positive Educators
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• As part of national campaign Know Your Status ,
  the government is encouraging teachers and
  learners to test for HIV.
  
• Before the onset of a national ARV programme, MoE
  supported access to treatment for teachers
  through the private sector.
  
• Teachers affected by HIV and AIDS are provided
  with psycho-social support by trained colleagues
  and MOE Counsellors

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Expanding Educational Opportunities
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• The Government introduced free primary education
  since 2000
  
• Providing bursaries to OVC in secondary education
  since 2001
  
• Establishing new schools nearer to communities to
  minimise walking distances

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HIV and AIDS in the curriculum
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• Content on HIV and AID integrated in all subjects
  in the school curriculum
  
• Curriculum includes knowledge and skills on sex
  education, STDs, reproductive health as a key
  part of Health Education ( primary) and
  Integrated Science (Secondary)
• HIV and AIDS knowledge and skills consciously
  integrated into national examinations across the
  curriculum
  
• Life-skills curriculum developed since 2005,
  piloted in 2006 and rolled out into schools from
  2007.

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Improving Sector Capacity to Manage HIV and AIDS
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• National AIDS Commission established to
  coordinate HIV and AIDS response
  
• MoE established an HIV and AIDS Unit since 2003.
  HIV and AIDS Coordination Office established
  since 2005 with the assistance of UNAIDS and
  UNESCO
• Based on the National AIDS Strategy, the MOE is
  finalising the education sector strategy on AIDS

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School-based Care and Support
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• Government and NGOs support community-based
  Support Groups for people affected by HIV and
  AIDS
  
• Provision of support clubs for in- and
  out-of-school children
  
• Provision of school boarding facilities,
  especially for girls
  
• School feeding and vegetable gardens

• Improving the school infrastructure to be
  child-friendly ensuring availability of water,
  sanitation, recreational services etc.
  
• Training teachers as lay counsellor and
  psycho-social support skills
  
• Changing the school ethos to be child-centred,
  child-friendly and rights-based.
  

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Care and support continued..
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• Refocus community attention on schools as
  child-friendly centres of learning.
  
• Include delivery of services such as health,
  water, sanitation care and support in schools in
  collaboration with other sectors.

• Create a gender- disaggregated register for
  vulnerable children
  
• Provide resilience-building programmes for
  orphans and vulnerable children, including
  psychosocial support home-based care visits
  

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Remaining Challenges
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• A number of schools still have poor
  infrastructure making schooling unattractive
  
• Education still not compulsory and some OVC
  remain out of school
  
• The demand for bursaries at secondary level
  exceed the available resources
  
• The paradigm shift required from teachers to
  realise child-friendly schools will take effort
  and time to be realised.
  
• Social taboos still hamper openness in sex
  education, life and death and stigmatisation

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Paramente Phamotse (Mr.)Chief Education Officer
Primary(National EFA Coordinator)Ministry of
Education and TrainingLesotho

• P. O. Box 14257Maseru, LesothoTel (266) 22
  324369Fax [phone]phamotsep_at_education.g
  ov.ls
  
• www.education.gov.ls