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Background
This project, initiated by Harare Cluster Office in November 2000, ceased
its operations on 31st January 2006. The project was funded through the
UNESCO/Belgium Funds-in-Trust for an amount of EUR 800,000
Objectives
The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the strengthening
of the national capacity of the education systems in the sub-region in order
to respond to the threat of HIV/AIDS.
Specific objectives of the project include the following:
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To
measure the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education system.
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To mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people affected by HIV/AIDS;
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To
enhance the teaching of HIV/AIDS/Life Skills Education in the primary
school system;
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To
strengthen HIV/AIDS/Life Skills education in the SADC region, with
emphasis on an integrated school-based approach;
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To
develop strategies to link the school with the community and community
support services; and
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To
strengthen existing resource databases on HIV/AIDS and education.
Results
The project has achieved the following
results:
i. Development of a Sub-regional HIV/AIDS
Database.
The HIV/AIDS and Education Database (www.harare.unesco.org/hivaids)
is an ongoing site sharing information and the latest documents on HIV/AIDS
and Education. It was made available online in July 2002 and was the first
of its kind. The database addresses informational needs of governmental and
non-governmental organizations, teachers, teacher associations and other
individuals working in the field of HIV/AIDS and Education in Eastern and
Southern Africa. To date about 450 electronic documents have been entered
and data entry is still continuing. Additional to the on-line database, the
project manages the HIV and AIDS component of the Harare Documentation
Centre, where over 1000 documents can be consulted.
There has been close collaboration between the Harare Office and other
UNESCO offices and institutions that have developed HIV/AIDS and Education
databases and clearinghouses. On the occasion of the International AIDS
Conference in Bangkok (2004) a common website and flyer was developed, and a
proposal is out to create and maintain a single UNESCO HIV/AIDS and
Education Clearinghouse, that builds on the existing clearinghouse
structures.
ii. Strengthening Teachers’ Capacity to teach HIV/AIDS and Life Skills
Education through Training
This initiative started in 2002 and aims at strengthening the pre-service
teacher training programmes on HIV/AIDS in the Primary Teacher’s Colleges.
Since teachers are a key resource in responding to HIV/AIDS in the education
sector, they need to be trained and equipped to maximize the impact of
education on the epidemic along the prevention to care continuum. While
curriculum development is important, it is crucial that teachers have the
skills to educate children on sexuality, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and
life skills. In addition, teachers need to be equipped with the skills to
cope with the impact of the epidemic on their work with children and their
daily lives. The teacher training programme is being implemented in close
collaboration with the different Ministries of Education and achieved the
following in each of its five main components:
iii. Needs Assessment and Policy Development
Needs assessments were conducted in Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe
resulting in country-specific project documents for each country. A National
HIV/AIDS Policy for Teacher Colleges that is sensitive to the needs of
students, lectures and other college staff was developed through a
consultative process and launched by both the governments of Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
The project has also developed a set of instruments that allows to monitor
and to evaluate progress with regards to HIV and AIDS programmes in
teacher’s colleges. The first set of data was collected from all colleges in
Zimbabwe and is currently being analysed.
iv. Risk Reduction
The project supports college initiatives to adopt more positive behaviours
that reduces HIV/AIDS related risk, in particular through the promotion of
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT). VCT is an HIV prevention strategy
that gives an opportunity to confidentially explore one’s HIV risks and to
learn ones HIV status. UNESCO entered into a partnership with Population
Services International (PSI) to conduct a comprehensive programme of
providing VCT services in 10 Teacher’s Colleges in Zimbabwe. The
comprehensive package provided by the joint UNESCO/PSI team would include
interpersonal communication sessions (IPC), outreach by the New Start VCT
network and technical inputs from New Life post-test support network.
The main objective of the joint initiative was to pilot and document the
introduction of Voluntary Counselling and Testing in a teacher training
college setting. The three specific objectives were: to introduce the VCT
concept to the teacher training college community; to introduce sustainable
follow-up on activities after testing in the form of Post-Test Support
Groups; and to support the creation of a sustainable referral system at the
college level.
There are several reports on this initiative, including a concise M&E
report.
v. Coping Skills
The project supported the development of the Coping Skills Manual and its
introduction in colleges. The manual is addressed at lecturers and student
teachers and aims at empowering teachers on how to deal with their own HIV
status and cope with the effects of HIV/AIDS in the classroom. The manual is
currently being used in all the Teacher’s Colleges in Zimbabwe and it is
envisaged to discuss and assess its strengths and weaknesses after one year
vi. Teaching Skills Capacity Building
The project assists in strengthening the capacity to teach HIV/AIDS and Life
Skills among student teachers and lecturers. In this respect and in
collaboration with different partners, the project:
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Introduced “Edutainment”, or the empowerment of student teachers to be
able to work in a pedagogical manner in the classroom using the tools of
music, drama and movement. This initiative is documented by a final
report, a new project proposal and a 30 minute video presenting the dance
and the making of it;
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Supports Zimpath, an HIV/AIDS project of the Flemish Office for
Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance (VVOB) in Zimbabwe,
through the supply of didactic material; and
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Supports the Ministry of Education of Zambia in the Development and
piloting of a generic training programme on HIV/AIDS and Life Skills
related teaching methods and skills in Colleges of Education.
vii. Care and Support
The project supports the colleges in setting up post-test support groups (PTSG)
and referral systems in order to provide some minimum care and support
inside and outside the colleges in Zimbabwe. A five-day workshop attended by
several members of the college community was held in August 2004 and focused
on basic counselling skills and techniques, HIV/AIDS counselling, project
management, treatment literacy, care and support to the infected and
affected, bereavement and coping skills. A second one-week workshop held in
July 2005 focused on PTSG.
viii. Teachers in World with AIDS Magazine
The first edition of a college magazine entitled ‘Teachers in a World with
AIDS’ was produced by UNESCO Harare in 2004. The objectives of this magazine
are to:
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Provide information in an attractive and user friendly manner to colleges
as a means of eliminating stigma and discrimination.
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Document and share experiences on matters of concern to the college
community.
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Facilitate networking among colleges.
The first edition focuses on VCT and aims to
stimulate discussion on risk behaviour. The edition is a follow up to the
Voluntary Counselling and Testing initiative introduced to 10 of Zimbabwe’s
Teachers’ Colleges between March and July 2004. 6 500 copies of this edition
have been distributed to all colleges in Zimbabwe. The second edition
focuses on “life after testing” and is currently being distributed to the
colleges.
ix. Sub-regional Colloquium on ‘‘Teaching in a World with AIDS” Harare,
29th November- 1st December 2004
The colloquium was jointly organized by Harare Cluster office, the section
of Teacher Training at UNESCO Headquarters and the Association for the
Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Secretariat. The major objectives
of the colloquium were as follows:
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To
introduce and discuss the global initiative “Towards an AIDS-free
Generation” and the need for a coordinated national response.
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To
discuss with key Ministry Officials and other stakeholders the main issues
relating to the new role and management of teachers and related education
policies in the face of HIV/AIDS.
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To
discuss with Ministry officials on the factors that impede their
Ministries from tackling the issues affecting teachers.
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To
identify and share best practices on the main issues.
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To
agree on what constitutes a comprehensive response towards teachers and
HIV/AIDS.
56 delegates mainly from Botswana, Malawi,
Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe participated in this meeting. Delegates were
from Ministries of Education, Teacher’s Unions, National AIDS Councils, UN
agencies, International NGO’s, a group of Zimbabwean teachers that are
openly living with HIV and resource people from different parts of Africa
and Europe.
The deliberations and outcomes of the meeting are captured in two reports:
an 8-pages synthesis report and a 67-pages full report.
x. The District Education Management Information System (DEMIS)
The DEMIS (District Education Management Information Systems) project was
introduced in response to the management challenges paused by HIV/AIDS. The
DEMIS is designed to facilitate the processing and analysis of data at a
local level to guide immediate management response at the school and
district level. The DEMIS captures statistics on learners, educators, school
based support staff and school governing bodies. The statistics provide data
on enrolment; absenteeism; pregnancy rates and those leaving the school
systems and detailing reasons for this; increase in orphan numbers; loss of
contact time and change in the number of educators. All this data is
collected on a monthly basis, disaggregated by grade and by gender thus
allowing the local level manager to gain complete, detailed and time
referenced information for every school they manage.
The DEMIS Project Zimbabwe is a joint initiative between UNESCO, Ministry of
Education Sport and Culture, UNAIDS and the National Aids Council. The pilot
project runs in 105 schools in seven districts in Zimbabwe: Bikita, Buhera,
Bulililma, Gokwe North, Mangwe, Rushinga and UMP. These seven districts are
part of the UNAIDS ‘District Response Initiative (DRI)’, an initiative that
aims to promote a comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach to dealing with
the pandemic in some of poorest districts in the country. On a monthly basis
the school collects data on a one page summary sheet that they submit to the
district office. One copy is retained at the school to supplement school
based record keeping and management.
The DEMIS project started in October 2002 and has been characterised by an
approach that involves many stakeholders from the education sector such as
planners, statisticians, Heads of Schools and teachers as well as the
involvement of the National AIDS Council. Both national, provincial and
district participation was ensured in the DEMIS process. Over the past two
years, a series of workshops, training sessions and field monitoring visits
have resulted in the following:
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The
development and distribution of DEMIS data collection instruments.
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Training workshops on data collection and capturing held in all seven
participating districts.
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DEMIS mainstreamed into the District Response Initiative of the National
AIDS Council.
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DEMIS software for data analysis developed.
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Data
collection process monitored through field trips to the districts.
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Term
1 and 2 data collected, collated, analysed and presented during the
sub-regional colloquium on “Teaching in a World with AIDS”
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DEMIS processes and 2004 DEMIS data analysed and ready for presentation.
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Outline on the way forward prepared.
In Mozambique the project also supports the
development of HIV/AIDS-sensitive educational data. The item was on the
agenda during the “Accelerating the Education Sector Response to HIV/AIDS”
meeting in Maputo, in February 2004. The objective of this World Bank
meeting was to strengthen the implementation of the education sector
strategic response to HIV/AIDS at the national and provincial levels. The
UNESCO Maputo office is currently finalizing a detailed work plan with the
Ministry of Education that will lead to the adaptation of the existing EMIS
through the introduction of HIV/AIDS-sensitive educational data.
xi. Development of a Manual on Psycho-social Support for Teachers in
Malawi.
Psychosocial support is an ongoing process of meeting physical, emotional,
social, mental and spiritual needs of children, all of which are essential
elements of meaningful and positive human development. The situation of
children affected by AIDS is especially acute in the countries of the
Southern African region. With the scenario that up to 35% of all children
might be orphans in the region by 2010, failure to support children to
overcome the traumatic impact of AIDS will have very negative impacts on
society, jeopardizing years of investment in national development. It has
become increasingly important to deal with the impact of AIDS on the
psychological health of children who have experienced the trauma of caring
for and losing their parents and it is felt that the education system has an
important role in the large-scale response that is required to address the
various psychosocial needs of affected children.
A contract was signed between the UNESCO Harare Cluster Office and the
Malawi National Commission for UNESCO for the development of the above
manual by end of January 2006. Top. |
