Educators’ attitudes towards HIV/AIDS care and support programmes for high school learners in Zululand district
The rapid increase in HIV/AIDS infections and its effects in families and communities are vast. Around the world, young people are at the centre of the HIV epidemic. They are at high risk for HIV/AIDS infection and are, therefore, in need of targeted interventions. As a result, South African Government has established HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program to be implemented in schools by educators. The purpose of this study is to explore educators ‘attitudes towards this HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program for high school learners in Zululand District. The study seeks to explore how educators in high schools view schools as centres of care and support for learners infected and affected by HIV/AIDS; and also explore their beliefs about HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program being implemented in schools by educators; as well as factors that affect the effective implementation of the program. The results of this study should contribute to the research in the area of Sexuality Education in schools and influence the design and the implementation of HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program in high schools. The structured interviews with ten educators from ten high schools in Zululand District, comprising of five females and five males Life Orientation educators were conducted. The results reveal that the educators have positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program. However, they believe that the implementation of the program does not form part of their responsibility as educators due to lack of expertise, time, and support from school management and parents. The study also found that factors such as lack of effective training, lack of support from school management, lack of parental involvement, as well as confidentiality, hinders the effective implementation of HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program.
HIV/AIDS --support programmes --high school learners --South Africa
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