Children and young people develop knowledge, values and skills in school that will guide them through life. The response of schools, communities and education authorities is therefore essential for success in the struggle against HIV and AIDS. The education sector must show leadership and courage in fighting for the rights of children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Schools and education authorities must educate and empower children and young people to prevent the pandemic from spreading further.
Addressing delegates at the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok in 2004, Nelson Mandela said that leadership involved both personal commitment and concrete actions. Leaders had to lead the response to HIV and AIDS “… with clear vision and imaginative action … They must dare to be different, and they must be prepared for the course to be difficult. They will be faced with tough decisions, and they must come up with bold and innovative responses. This is what leaders are for, and the AIDS epidemic will test their leadership skills to the limits."
Nelson Mandela
Inclusive and child-friendly schools are designed to be responsive to the individual needs of their students. This helps them to develop the self-esteem and skills necessary to protect themselves and others against gang violence, drug addiction and sexually transmitted infections - including HIV.
In inclusive and child-friendly schools and communities, children and young people will learn to embrace diversity. They will develop empathy with children and young people who are vulnerable to marginalisation and exclusion. This will help to ensure that such children are included in their classes, schools and communities.
“Since education shapes attitudes and values, it can also help reduce discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.”
UNESCO and UNAIDS Advocacy Kit- HIV/AIDS and Education /2004
Despite numerous conventions, agreements and laws, more than 20 million primary school age children are still out of school throughout South Asia. Some children never enrol, others drop out or are expelled from schools. Often this happens without education authorities, schools and communities fully realising their legal responsibility to provide quality education for ALL children, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, their social, economical, cultural, ethnic or religious background, or their HIV and AIDS status.
“The education system failed us when they gave up on us …”
Rico Gustav – HIV and AIDS Activist - UNAIDS
Every year an increasing number of children throughout the world are being infected or affected by HIV and AIDS. Children, mostly young girls, are pulled out of school to take care of sick parents, siblings and other family members.
Therefore, in an effort to increase awareness of legal and moral responsibilities to ensure that ALL children have equal access to quality education, we have developed an accessible and reader-friendly Compendium on a rights-based approach to education. It is aimed at legislators, government officials, university lecturers, head teachers, teachers, student teachers, parents, education activists, and other key stakeholders. The Compendium is a collection of short versions and excerpts from relevant conventions, agreements, laws, declarations and recommendations. The full versions are available online. Most will also be available as hard copies through your national UNESCO, UNDP or UNICEF offices.
We hope this Compendium will become an important tool in creating awareness among, and encouraging responses from key stakeholders, to ensure equal access and right of ALL children to quality education and health services in an inclusive setting.
The Compendium Development Team
