Die uitdagings van MIV/VIGS-opvoeding vir die 'gewone' klas- en vakonderwyser: ’n prinsipiële besinning

Abstract

<strong>The challenges of HIV/AIDS education for the 'ordinary' class and subject teacher: A principial reflection</strong><br /><br /> HIV/AIDS has become a wide-spread epidemic. It has already claimed thousands of lives and many others are infected daily. HIV/AIDS education forms an important facet in the struggle against the disease, also in schools where ‘ordinary’ teachers (i.e. not professional AIDS practitioners) find themselves having to deal with classes of students in which learners infected by HIV or suffering from full-blown AIDS might be present. HIV/AIDS education confronts these teachers with several challenges. Feedback from an empirical survey in a province of South Africa where HIV/AIDS has assumed rampant proportions revealed that, while these ‘ordinary’ teachers were quite prepared to become involved in the struggle against HIV/AIDS, they did not see themselves as adequately equipped and prepared for the task. A number of recommendations are made to deal with this shortcoming in their training.