HIV and AIDS and TVET

HIV and AIDS have a tremendous impact on the education and training systems and the labour force. Therefore, the TVET systems of those countries most affected by the pandemic need to be adapted in order to address these problems.

With regard to TVET, HIV and AIDS affect:

• The demand for TVET: reduced enrolments through death and illness of students, absenteeism related to care for infected relatives, the need to substitute for a deceased income generating family member, that is having to work instead of going to school, etc.
• The supply of TVET: impact on teaching and other education personnel and resources
• The quality of TVET: by diverting resources and through absenteeism of staff and learners

HIV and AIDS are also major threats to the world of work as they affect the most productive segment of the labour force. They lead to

• Reduced earnings
• Increase of labour costs
• Decline of productivity
• Loss of skills and experience
• Erosion of rights at work (discrimination and stigmatization of infected co-workers etc.)

Examples of good practice of integrating HIV/AIDS education into TVET programmes

The United Nations

Within the UN system, UNESCO is the convening agency for HIV/AIDS and Education.

“UNESCO’s strategy is to place special emphasis on prevention of HIV/AIDS with and for education. By HIV/AIDS prevention education, UNESCO means offering learning opportunities for all to develop the knowledge, skills, competencies, values and attitudes that will limit the transmission and impact of the pandemic, including through access to care and counselling and education for treatment. UNESCO also means, through improved prevention and planning, to limit the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education sector, thereby preserving the core functions of the education systems.” (UNESCO’s Strategy for HIV/AIDS Prevention Education, 2004, p. 20;
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001345/134572e.pdf )

Furthermore, the governments, organizations, agencies, groups and associations represented at the World Education Forum 2000 in Dakar, Senegal, pledged themselves to “ …implement as a matter of urgency education programmes and actions to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic” (Dakar Framework of Action 2000; http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_for_all/framework.shtml ), as part of the Education for All process.

Links

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS – UNAIDS (http://www.unaids.org)

The ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/trav/aids)

The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (http://www.businessfightsaids.org) – Leading the business fight against HIV/AIDS

International AIDS Economics Network (IAEN) (http://www.iaen.org/) – The economics of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment Publications on Workplace Education

UNESCO’s Action against HIV/AIDS (http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1134&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html)

HIV and AIDS in Education Resources

The HIV/AIDS Impact on Education Clearinghouse (http://hivaidsclearinghouse.unesco.org) (Institute for Educational Planning) An interactive clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating documentation on HIV/AIDS and its impact on education.

The International Clearinghouse on Curriculum for HIV/AIDS Preventive Education (http://www.unesco.org/education/ibe/ichae) (International Bureau of Education) A global clearinghouse to collect, assess and disseminate curriculum materials and approaches for HIV/AIDS prevention.

The HIV/AIDS Clearinghouse (http://www.hivaidsclearinghouse.unesco.org/bangkok) (UNESCO Bangkok) A regional clearinghouse aimed at collecting, processing, repackaging and disseminating information and materials on HIV/AIDS preventive education in Asia and the Pacific.

The Regional HIV/AIDS Clearinghouse on Preventive Education (http://www.dakar.unesco.org/clearing_house/sida.shtml) (UNESCO Dakar) A bibliographic database of the latest documents to address the information needs of those working in the field of HIV/AIDS and education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

GTZ education materials on HIV and AIDS prevention for occupational training purposes (http://www.gtz.de/en/themen/wirtschaft-beschaeftigung/berufsbildung/26898.htm)

Documents

• A Strategic Approach: HIV AIDS and Education - UNAIDS (http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/up/A_strategic_Approach.pdf)