Monday, April 1, 2019
Orphaned And Vulnerable Children In Africa Education Essay
orphaned And Vulnerable Children In Africa instruction Es vocaliseIntroductionDuring the course procreation Development in Diverse Societies we learned ab go forth the chief(prenominal) rearingal theories and other (inter)disciplinary approaches to study statemental issues in revealing countries. We analysed fosterageal reforms and innovations from an interdisciplinary and multilevel perspective, and examined their theoretical basis, the practical implications, the strengths and weaknesses, and how they respond to the discipline postulate of babyren with a diverse background.1In this piece of music I w calamity apply the acquaintance and chthonianstanding that I gained by writing ab bulge the impact of the human immunodeficiency virus/ aid pestilential on introductory statement for nipperren at guess.2The acquired immune deficiency syndrome pestilent has become a global crisis currently threatening the come by dint ofs of millions of concourse and devastati ng entire societies. Education systems feel an all important(p) role to be in fighting this epizootic, beca aim of their capacity to reach very large metrical com locating of young peck with vivification-saving information and skills. A sleep withd uncomplicated discipline dejection reduce the risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection for young people and in fact, basic education has much(prenominal) a powerful limp effect, that it has been described as the brotherly vaccine (Boler Carroll 2003). As the pestilential gathers pace, however, it poses increase risks to education itself, threatening to stop children from enrolling, teachers from teaching and instills from functioning. This threatens the Right to Education, and the objective of Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to light upon primary popular education. Particularly, orphans and undefended children (OVCs), face a raft of ch in allenges in the provision of shade educ ation.3In this paper, I thence focus on the impact of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome epizootic on basic education for orphans and unguarded children in fighter Saharan Africa in order to improve and increase their rise to power to property education, skills development and other kind services. Since I am sledding to conduct explore in Zambia on a tie in topic, I focus particularly on the impact of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome epizootic on basic education in Zambia. The research questions of this paper in that locationfore state What is the impact of the human immunodeficiency virus/ aid epidemic on basic education for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) in Zambia? What fanny be through to increase their nark, progression and educational outcomes?Part superstar of this paper deals with the to a greater extent than general literature about human immunodeficiency virus/ assist in Sub Saharan Af rica. This includes the impact of human immunodeficiency virus/ encourage, leading to many antithetical educational consequences. In part two I focus on Zambia as a case study, whereby I explain the human immunodeficiency virus/ aid epidemic in Zambia, the impact it has on OVCs and the educational system. Part three discusses the possibilities of redressing the injurious consequences inwardly the educational system, whereby I focus on friendship instilldayss. In conclusion, I answer the research question and I leave give recommendations for further research.The human immunodeficiency virus/ aid epidemic in Sub Saharan AfricaTwo-thirds of all people infected with human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS live in Sub Saharan Africa, although this region includes little more than 10% of the worlds republic (UNAIDS 2008 Foster Williamson 2000 275 Barnett Whiteside 2006 210-19). human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS has caused immense human mislaying in the continent. The some obviou s effect of this crisis has been illness and death, but the impact of the epidemic has certainly non been confined to the wellness firmament. Households, informs, work slurs and economies save also been disadvantageously takeed. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 15 million Afri fires have died from AIDS (UNAIDS 2008). In the previous class 2008, an estimated 1.4 million bigs and children died as a termination of AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2008). Besides, a growing spot of children in Sub Saharan Africa have been orphaned by AIDS (Robson Sylvester 2007 260). However, detailed information on the numbers of children immediately abnormal by the human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS epidemic is very limited in nearly countries in Sub Saharan Africa (Bennell 2005 468). A major part of the twoer is that it is much difficult to establish whether a child, p bent or c ber is ill or has died as a pull up stakes of an AIDS- link up disease.Another complicating factor is that there is no standard definition of an orphan. Definitions of orphans vary across different cultures and studies. In general, an orphan due to AIDS is defined as a child who has lost at least ace p atomic number 18nt dead from AIDS or AIDS related diseases. However, UNICEF and UNAIDS have a more limited definition. They define an orphan as a child infra 15 geezerhood of age a single orphan has lost superstar p bent, period a double orphan has lost twain p atomic number 18nts (Foster Williamson 2000 Brennell 2005 Barnett Whiteside 2006 213). For the office of this paper, and in line with working definitions in Zambia, an orphan is defined as a child be dispirited the age of 18 who has lost one or both p bents (Robson Sylvester 2007 262).The toll of HIV/AIDS on habitations can be very severe. Although the whole population is affected by HIV/AIDS, it are oft the curtest areas of society that are nigh exposed to the epidemic and for whom the consequence s are most severe. In many cases, the presence of AIDS causes the household to finish up, as parents die and children are sent to relatives for care and upbringing.Although the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected many aspects of social and stinting development, this paper focuses on the affect on educational development. The relationship between AIDS and the education sector is circular as the epidemic worsens, the education sector is damaged, which in turn is likely to increase the incidence of HIV transmission. at that place are numerous ways in which AIDS can affect education, but equally there are many ways in which education can help the fight against AIDS and generates hope (Kelly 1999 6-7).4The end to which drills and other educational institutions are able to continue functioning will influence how well societies eventually recover from the epidemic. Or as the theatre director of UNAIDS, Peter Piot, explained it Without education, AIDS will continue its rampant spread. With AIDS out of control, education will be out of reach (World Bank et al. 2002).OVCs are less likely to have proper grooming. The death of a prime-age adult in a household will reduce a childs examineing at give lessons (World Bank 1997 225 in Barnett Whiteside 2006 220).5The household may be less able to pay for inculcateing. An orphaned child may have to take on household or income-earning work. Sick adults may have reduced expectations of the returns of investing in childrens education as they do not expect to live long enough to recoup the investment. When a child goes to another household afterwards his or his parents death, the obstacles become greater as the child is not their own (Barnett Whiteside 2006 220).Finally, a reason why it is crucial to focus on children is that the impact of HIV/AIDS will bum about for decades after the epidemic begins to wane (Foster Williamson 2000 275). However, for a diversity of reasons, little worry has been paid to the situation an d experience of individual children affected by HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, greater understanding of the impact of HIV/AIDS on childrens education is essential in the design and evaluation of course of instructions to nominate children living under difficult conditions.HIV/AIDS epidemic in ZambiaZambia, in southerly Africa, has been severely affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and can be seen as the mirror of Sub Saharan Africa. Statistics emphasize that one in five adults is infected with HIV (Kayanta 2004 in Robson Sylvester 2007 259-60). Additionally, more than 70% of the population lives in poorness (CSO 2003 in Robson Sylvester 2007 260). However, the sphere is active to consume the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), to achieve the EFA and the MDGs, by eradicating extreme hunger and want, to conflict HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, to promote gender equality and empower women and to achieve universal primary education.6Besides, the country select a number of poverty diminution objectives (Ministry of abroad personal business 2008 19).Almost 50% of Zambias population is under 15 years old, 71% of children live in poverty, and one in cardinal children are orphaned. In other words, the HIV epidemic has devastated the country and it is estimated that by 2010 there will be 1,328,000 AIDS orphans (UNAIDS 2008). These children are vulnerable to neglect, sexual abuse and early marriages, forced child labour and can have serious health and nutrition problems. As a result OVCs are less likely to have access to drill and to complete quality basic education. Social protection measures put in place by the administration are hampered by inadequate resources, and OVCs lack of sentiency of their rights.The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the Zambian education systemThe AIDS epidemic affects the supply of and demands for education in a variety of ways, e supererogatoryly in a high HIV preponderance country like Zambia (Bennell 2005 467). HIV /AIDS has multiple effects on education through ten different mechanisms reduction in demand, reduction in supply, reduction in availability of resources, adjustments in response to the special needs of an increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children, adaptation to new interactions both within schools and between schools and communities, class modification, altered roles that have to be adopted by teachers and the education system, the ways in which schools and the education system are organised, the planning and management of the system, and donor advocate for education (Kelly 1999 1).More and more research is carried out on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia. However, little research has been undertaken in basic schools themselves, to examine the experiences of poverty and AIDS-affected children. in that locationfore, Robson and Sylvester emphasize that it is timely to explore the perceptions of education personnel and students regarding the adequacy of respo nses within the educational sector and to identify the unmet needs (Robson Sylvester 2007 262). strike of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on education for pupilsThere are three convocations of schoolchildren whose lives are most flat affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and whose education is, and then, potentially at maximum risk children who are HIV validating, children living in households with sick family members, and children whose parents or caretakers have died of HIV/AIDS. The chain to which the education of these children is negatively affected depends deeply on the level of corporal and emotional support they get from the extended family, the school, the fellowship and the local government (Bennell 2005 468).However, like I explained in the introduction, it is difficult to indicate the number of directly affected children by the epidemic. Besides, schools rarely keep accurate and up-to-date records on the number of affected children and their parents. Nonetheless, we do know th at the number of children that is HIV positive because the mother passed the virus on to her child is relatively small, since over 90 per cent of these children die before they are old enough to attend school. It is therefore estimated that a small number of schoolchildren is infected or has AIDS related sicknesses (Brennell 2005 469). This is also the reason why mortality rates at primary schools are low.It is comm but believed that the education of children who are most directly affected by the epidemic is adversely affected in a number of ways. The main argument is that given very difficult substructure situations, both orphans and children in AIDS-affected households are often forced to drop out of school altogether with little likelihood of ever returning to school (Brennell 2005 473).The growth in the number of orphans and other directly affected children is tax the coping strategies of families and society at large. In many cases, the extended family call up it extremely d ifficult to cope economicalally and psychologically with the numbers it is needful to absorb. Few orphans and other children in AIDS-affected households are able to pay their school or training fees. many another(prenominal) others have to care for others in the homes where they live. Many have to work to support themselves or younger siblings dependent on them (Kelly 2000 57 in Brennell 2005 473).Pupils whose parents die or are ill often drop out of school due to different factors such as, economic stresses on households, changes in the family structure, responsibilities to look after the sick, the elderly or siblings and going away of parental supervision (Foster Williamson 2000 278,81). The way school attendance, performance and school mop up are effected generally depends on levels of risks and vulnerability due to social, economic and cultural circumstances (Robson Sylvester 2007 265). It is primal to mention that the financial burden on families, for example when pare nts die, prevents many children from attending school despite the provision of shrive basic education because of the extra school costs, like textbooks, contribution to school funds and examination costs (Brennell 2005 475 Barnett Whiteside 2006 220).Other reasons for children to drop out of school or to perform badly are that poor children are ofttimes ill because of poor living conditions, which seriously affects their education. Besides, AIDS-related stigmas and discrimination increase the hap that children are not going to school (Foster Williamson 2000 281-82 Bennell 2005 473). Children, especially whose parents are cognize or suspected to have died of HIV/AIDS face the risk of being stigmatised or discriminated. This can also result in hector of these children. Stigma and discrimination in schools violates the principles of inclusive education and education for all (Robson Sylvester 2007 266). investigate in Zambia give tongue toed that the number of children attending primary school is decreasing. The winnow out in school participation rates was thought to result from poverty, unfitness to pay the rising costs of schooling, and increasing parental disillusion with the low quality of education. This is linked to HIV/AIDS and its affects on poverty, levels of employment, and the quality of school provision (Kelly 2000 12 in Barnett Whiteside 2006 220). Noteworthy is that proportionately more orphans than non-orphans were not attending school according to this research.Although it is important to focus on memorandum rates and participation, it is also important to pay attention to the quality of reading as well. Children, for example, might be hungry, or are unable to suffer due to tensions or anxiety at home. Vulnerable children tend to be more malnourished or to have received insufficient health care. This negatively affects school enrolment, attendance and performance (Robson Sylvester 2007 266 Barnett Whiteside 2006 221). Orphans and oth er vulnerable children often have to do a lot of household tasks before and after school. This indicates that obstacles to school achievement are industrial-strengthly connected with poverty and its related tensions. Besides, the plan of the school often not adapts to the vocational, emotional and spirit skills needs of HIV/AIDS affected-pupils.Whats more, HIV/AIDS has resulted in increasing teacher absenteeism and a significant decline in the number of teachers. This affects the quality of teaching, reading and assessment and diverted resources away from schools. The remaining teachers face problems because the burden on their shoulders increases since they have to manage progressively larger class sizes with poor resources (Kelly 1999 3 Carr-Hill 2002 in Robson Sylvester 2007 261, 265 Barnett Whiteside 2006 220). Sometimes pupils are also sent home because of a lack of teachers. All together, this affects the quality of teaching and learning for the pupils.Overall, we can sa y that poor pupils attending and performance is the result of a myriad of factors including asymmetrical attendance and generally poor quality of schooling (Brennell 2005 475). Studies also show that HIV/AIDS should not be excessively blamed for problems achieving global Primary Education. Problems with school enrolment, attendance and completion are also related to poverty or problems inherent to the school system, such as the quality of education (Barnett Whiteside 2006 222).Redressing the harmful consequences within the educational systemIn Zambia most of the initiatives within the education sector in relation to tackling HIV/AIDS and poverty are situated within educational reform programmes, such as the prefatorial Education Sub-Sector Investment Programme (BESSIP). The aim of this programme is to increase and improve the access, quality of basic education by the year 2015 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 19). Besides, the Ministry of Education make the goal of equitable ac cess to relevant education a right for all Zambians and it removed the school fees in 2003 (Robson Sylvester 2007 260). HIV/AIDS prevention strategies tend to focus in the main on preventive confederacy-establish initiatives to improve access to health education. However, there are various barriers to learning and participation. This is linked to the fact that many teachers lack the acquaintance or the skills to implement effective HIV/AIDS and life skills programmes (Obura Sinclear 2005 in Robson Sylvester 2007 260).Therefore, the challenge for the Zambian Ministry of Education (MoE) and the international community is not only to provide the right to basic education, but also strengthen schools as inclusive and supportive communities. For the pupils, this might focus on provision of election and more opportunities for participation and learning, access to health, life skills, suitable counselling and support in order to cope with the harmful consequences of the HIV/AIDS epid emic. For teachers, it is important to concentrate on professional development opportunities in order to support the management of large scale and platform development e.g. in the areas of life skills and vocational skills (Robson Sylvester 2007 259-60).In Zambia, community schools have a significant position in redressing the harmful consequences of HIV/AIDS within the education system. residential area schools try to differentiate the learning needs of OVCs by designing and delivering a relevant and meaningful curriculum that assist these children to develop income-generating skills, personal, health, emotional and social skills, and critical learning skills (Kelly 1999 4). approximately community school use the four-year curriculum Skills, Participation, Access and Relevant acquaintance (SPRAK). This curriculum offers pupils a ready stinger to official grade 7 examinations (Chondoka 2004 Robson Sylvester 2007 267).In the following part of this paper I will first explain the main features of community schools in Zambia. Secondly, I will discuss why community schools and especially the firing curriculum could be a solution for the educational development of OVCs affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. familiarity Schools ace of the main characteristics of the Zambian education system is the central role played by community schools. Community schools emerged as a response to the unmet demand for school places among the poor and other marginalised groups in Zambia who are not in formal schools (USAID 2006 in Robson Sylvester 2007 262 Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 52). In many instances, these schools are run by parents and volunteer teachers, though increasingly they receive support from the government, non-governmental organisations, faith based organizations or esoteric initiatives. In other words, there is an enormous variableness between community schools, more than between government schools or private schools, in how they are supported and mana ged (Destefano 2006). Besides, the school buildings and provisions vary greatly. A large number of these schools have wattle-and-daub constructions and temporary provisions (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 52, 56).7Classrooms and water and sanitation facilities are often of poor quality. Teaching and learning materials are generally inadequate. Pupils often sit on the floor. Uniforms are often not a school requirement. Finally, the vast majority of teachers are unqualified (Chondoka 2006 7). Adversely, reasons why these community schools increase in popularity are that community schools are less expensive, close to home, less demanding in entry requirements and are managed by local communities. Most community schools serve children aged between 9-16 years who are either drop-outs or who have never been to school.The concept of a community school was not entirely new to Zambia. The European missionaries had already established similar schools and called them village schools or bush schools (Chondoka 2006). Around 1995, more community schools began to appear in areas without government schools, where parents could not meet the spending of the high school fees that were charged, where the distance to the nearby government school was to distant or where the government schools were considered overcrowded. Since 1998, the Zambian government officially recognises community schools. The Zambian government acknowledges the positive effect of community schools in redressing the harmful consequences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since 1998, the number of community schools has enlarged exponentially, although the school fees for government schools were taboo in 2002 with the introduction of free basic education. However, it is important to mention that in general, community schools are relatively small. In 2000, they accounted for 17% of the basic schools and 8% of the pupils in basic schools in 2006 these figures had increased to 34% and 16%, individually (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 54-55). In 2005 the MoE distributed 30% of their budget to community schools (Robson Sylvester 2007 262). This made it accomplishable for community schools to receive school grants, textbooks, professional guidance and sometimes a government funded teacher. However, most community schools started without prior information of the MoE and are severely underfunded. While the majority of the community schools receive an inadequate count of MoE support, many other schools not even receive a school grant. Despite the fact that the MoE supports community schools, its practical interest seems to be roughly limited. Actual support depends on the specific policy of the particular rule boards (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 54, 56).Community schools can be found in both rural an urban areas. A recent study shows that the main reason determining the location of rural community schools is distance to the nearest government school (Chondoka 2006 7). In urban areas, the se schools are set up in locations with large concentrations of children who are unable to get access to a public school due to costs or other factors (Destefano 2006).Pupils in community schools usually belong to the poorest and most vulnerable social strata (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 54). Less than one third of community school families live in stable structures, compared to 46% of public schools families (Destefano 2006). Most community schools are attended by a relatively large number of orphans. In 2005, about one in three pupils in community schools had lost his or her mother. In government schools this ratio is one in five. Most of the orphans lack sufficient parental support. According to a study in Central Province, many orphans not succeed to come to school regularly, while many of them are to hungry to concentrate in class when they do come (Chondoka 2006 9).Due to their restricted size, many of the community schools make use of multi-grade teaching, especially in rural areas. Instead of using the normal curriculum, they most of the times use the SPARK curriculum, which provides primary education in four years. The SPARK curriculum has been designed to meet the particular needs of community school children, who are usually older (between 9 and 16 years) and who are often directly hit by the HIV/AIDS epidmic. It follows the government curriculum and focuses on the relevant topics within English, Mathematics, Environmental Science, Social Studies, material Education and Zambian languages, with a life skills component integrated through all the subject areas. The SPARK curriculum places health education, with a strong focus on AIDS/HIV prevention, at the heart of the primary circle. It prioritizes literacy, numeracy and life skills which are recognized as having to serve a nation in crisis due to the young people who will have to deliver the goods and assume early responsibility of heading a family due to HIV/AIDS (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 56).As this part of the paper try to make clear, community schools are able to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized groups within Zambia, such as orphans. By using the SPRARK curriculum, that assist these children to develop knowledge and skills, it is possible to adapt to the needs of OVCs who face a lot of challenges because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, it also clear that there is an enormous translation between community schools. It is therefore important that the MoE not only recognises the community school, but also that the MoE support is more fairly distributed between the different (types) of community schools. After all, it is important to work together with the different types of school to achieve EFA goals and the MDGs and to guarantee that all children have the right to education.ConclusionOne of the most dramatic impacts of HIV/AIDS epidemic is the threat they make out to the well-being of children and young people. The already high prevalence of pov erty, coupled with the possible impacts of the AIDS epidemic can have long-term educational, emotional and social consequences (Khin-Sand Lwin et al 2001 Kanyata 2004 UNICEF-Zambia 2004 in Robson Sylvester 2007 268). It is estimated that the majority of children having lost one or both parents due to AIDS is living in Sub Saharan Africa. Children affected by HIV, as well as children living with HIV, often suffer from stigma and discrimination. The opportunity of these children to continue their education successfully may be reduced if their impoverished family or caretakers cannot pay the fees or the extra school costs.By giving a case study of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on basic education for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Zambia, this paper showed that relationship between the epidemic and the education sector is circular. There are various ways in which the epidemic effects the education for OVCs, but there are also several ways in which education can generate hope for these children. Schools, teachers and the Zambian government therefore need to be made more responsive to the needs of OVCs. Providing education to these children is not only a human rights imperative, it is also vital to break the vicious cycle of poverty and to promote security and public health. Basic education should, therefore, be free and target support to meet essential schooling costs (provision of lunches, books and pencils, examination fees). Besides, basic education should be provided for barren children as part of a wide-ranging package of support and it could help prevent absence or dropout (Brennell 2005 487).To my opinion the Skills, Participation, Access and Relevant Knowledge (SPARK) curriculum, which is used at most community schools, is a step prior to overcome most obstacles to achievement of education. SPARK is a special curriculum that was written for community schools. This four-year curriculum follows the government curriculum with a life skills c omponent integrated through all subject areas and offers pupils a fast track to official grade 7 examinations. However, more drastic curriculum and pedagogical review and teacher professional development are necessary to improve the quality and relevance of the educational experience. This also requires further research of what pupils are learning, and differentiated responses to their particular needs (Robson Sylvester 2007 269).LiteratureBarnett, T. and Whiteside, A.2006 AIDS in the Twenty-First Century. Disease and Globalisation. New York Palgrave MacMillan.Bennell, P.2005 The impact of the AIDS epidemic on the schooling of orphans and other directly affected children in Sub-Saharan Africa. journal of Development Studies 41 (3) 467-488.Boler, T. and Carroll, K.2003 Addressing the educational needs of orphans and vulnerable children. UK Working group on HIV/AIDS and Education. Policy Research issue 2.Chondoka, Y. A. and Subulwa, C.2004 valuation of the SPARK curriculum in commu nity schools in Zambia 2002-2004, Lusaka University of ZambiaChondoka, Y. A.2006 side analysis of Community Schools in Central Province of Zambia. Lusaka, University of Zambia.Destefano, J.2006 Meeting EFA Zambia Community Schools. 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