the impact of hiv/aids on the education sector in tanzania

2.3 The HIV/AIDS situation in <strong>the</strong> education sector
In <strong>the</strong> education sector <strong>the</strong> prevalence <strong>of</strong> HIV and <strong>the</strong> <strong>impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> AIDS are measured
through a combination <strong>of</strong> indicators, ranging from trends in <strong>the</strong> morbidity and mortality <strong>of</strong>
teachers, to <strong>the</strong> proportion <strong>of</strong> orphans in enrolments. However, record keeping is poor and <strong>the</strong>
data needed to measure <strong>the</strong> indicators are lacking. For example, although <strong>the</strong>re are indications
that AIDS may have become <strong>the</strong> greatest cause <strong>of</strong> death among adults in mainland Tanzania,
empirical data are not yet conclusive about this issue. Estimations <strong>of</strong> AIDS-related mortality
rates can only be proximate: symptoms that point to AIDS or HIV infection, for example
long-term illness and wasting, are also indicative <strong>of</strong> many o<strong>the</strong>r diseases (Bicego, Curtis,
Raggers, Kapiga and Ngallaba, 1997).
The education sector, which is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest employers in Tanzania, faces
particular problems for two basic reasons:
� Schools and educational institutions enrol young people in <strong>the</strong> 7-24 age group, from basic
education through to tertiary level. Epidemiological reports show that <strong>the</strong> 15-24 age group
is highly vulnerable to HIV (Tanzania MoH, 2001). Data from o<strong>the</strong>r research findings
corroborates this, showing that both girls and boys in primary and secondary schools are
sexually active. A knowledge, attitudes and practices baseline survey conducted by <strong>the</strong>
German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Reproductive Health Project amongst
1,560 primary school pupils in Lindi Region indicated that 45 per cent <strong>of</strong> pupils were
sexually active. The mean age for first sexual intercourse was 11.2 years for boys and 14
years for girls (Tautz, 2001).
� If ignored, <strong>the</strong> high rate <strong>of</strong> disease and death among teachers and o<strong>the</strong>r trained
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals will make replacements increasingly hard to find and train. Moreover, <strong>the</strong>
death <strong>of</strong> just one teacher deprives a whole class <strong>of</strong> children <strong>of</strong> education. Therefore, it
erodes access to education and interferes with <strong>the</strong> functioning capacity <strong>of</strong> key institutions.
2.3.1 Cultural practices that increase <strong>the</strong> risk <strong>of</strong> HIV infection
There are a number <strong>of</strong> cultural practices that can increase <strong>the</strong> risk <strong>of</strong> infection among
<strong>the</strong> wider community and that also affect education sector staff, students and pupils. These
include:
� casual sexual intercourse during tribal festivals and social ga<strong>the</strong>rings;
� sexual intercourse to remove curses and taboos;
� sex with minors for <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> curing disease;
� wife inheritance, and
� acceptance <strong>of</strong> sexual intercourse with in-laws.
In addition to <strong>the</strong>se practices, certain factors may put teachers at special risk <strong>of</strong>
contracting HIV, particularly in rural areas. Here, poverty levels are high but teachers are
perceived as well to do and have high social status in <strong>the</strong>ir teaching environment. Receipt <strong>of</strong> a
regular cash income also gives <strong>the</strong>m resources to buy sexual favours in an environment with
little liquidity for most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year. Consequently, some interviewees and participants in <strong>the</strong>
discussion groups felt that education sector leaders and teachers lack <strong>the</strong> moral authority to
advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention, because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own high-risk behaviour.
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