Primary education in eastern and southern Africa : increasing access for orphans and vulnerable children in AIDS-affected areas

Chapter 2 provides background on children orphaned by AIDS in the region, defines the scale of the orphan problem, and outlines the impact of orphaning on children. Chapter 3 examines obstacles that limit the access of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) to primary education, including affordability, increased familial responsibilities, family skepticism regarding the value of primary education, stigma and trauma, fear of infection, and poor educational quality. It also explores the concept of an "education vaccine" and discusses the challenges HIV/AIDS poses to the delivery of primary education. Chapter 4 describes initiatives that have been employed in various countries to increase OVC access to primary education and analyzes them according to five criteria: affordability and cost, accessibility, safety, sustainability, and quality. Chapter 5 describes nine lessons learned to help the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) target future resources. (1) To avoid stigmatizing orphans or overlooking the needs of other vulnerable youth, policies and initiatives should target all children in AIDS-affected areas. (2) Since the lack of affordable schooling is one of the most commonly cited obstacles to the access to education for HIV/AIDS-affected children, every effort should be made to make schooling affordable for all children, particularly the most vulnerable. This is a critical first step towards increasing access and includes eliminating or subsidizing prohibitive school-related expenses for children, such as enrollment fees, uniforms, textbooks, and school supplies. (3) Non-formal education, including life skills and vocational training, should be prioritized in addition to formal education. (4) Initiatives should be developed with community participation and should cater to community needs. (5) Increased management capacity at the national and community level is necessary to implement and sustain initiatives. (6) Initiatives should be developed within an integrated policy and planning framework linking short-term initiatives to long-term strategies. (7) School safety for girls should be given special consideration. Research indicates that girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection and sexual abuse in a school setting. (8) Educational quality and access concerns should not be separated. As seen in the establishment of the universal primary education (UPE) policy in Malawi, increasing access without increasing the supply of teachers and facilities results in high attrition rates that undermine initial access gains. (9) More information sharing is necessary to evaluate the benefits and costs of each initiative, with particular reference to supplemental teachers, peer education, vocational training, and psychosocial training for teachers.