Asmal proposes education as a social vaccine against HIV

In his address to the South African Education Ministry's first national conference on HIV/AIDS (entitled "An Education Coalition against HIV/AIDS"), Education Minister Professor Kader Asmal put forward the concept of education as a "social vaccine" against the spread of HIV infection.

In a frank and thorough overview of the epidemic and its implications for the education sector, presented to the gathering at Midrand on 31 May 2002, the Minister foregrounded a range of critical questions and factors for examination and forward strategy.

Among these were the use of the education system as a conduit for information that would limit the spread of HIV infection, the need for care and support for both learners and educators infected and affected by HIV, and the challenge of sustaining productivity within the education system at all levels.

His address examines pivotal issues such as HIV/AIDS in the curriculum, school-community relationships, school safety programmes, traditional and cultural practices, using educational resources for prevention, social mobilisation (involving multidisciplinary partnerships and multi-sector collaboration), and improving management capacity.

To download the full text of the Minister's address, click on the Word or PDF document titles in the righthand column.