HIV education in schools: is it an effective HIV prevention strategy?
By: James S, McCauley A & Reddy P
Published by: Horizons, 2005
Via: Eldis
This paper from the Horizons Program evaluates the effectiveness of a HIV education programme aimed at secondary school students. It presents the findings of a study which measured the impact of a school-based HIV education programme in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. The study found that participating in the programme had a positive impact on the students’ knowledge about HIV, on the students’ attitudes towards sexual abstinence and their intention to use condoms. However, there was no evidence of increased adoption of protective behaviours, such as condom-use or abstinence. The report suggests that this may be due to teachers placing more emphasis on the factual elements of the course rather than the life skills element.
The report recommends that teachers who are committed to the programme should be chosen and trained when developing school-based HIV education programmes. These teachers should be given material and moral support and dedicated time within the school schedule should be set aside for the programme. It is also important to develop a programme that teaches skills as well as information and that addresses the needs of different students. It is particularly important to address the different needs of male and female students.
(http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/saschlfnl.pdf)
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