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

5.1 Policy
5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Ministry has been active in prevention, control and <strong>impact</strong> mitigation ever since
<strong>the</strong> inception <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> national programme against HIV/AIDS in 1985. Interventions are
delivered through <strong>the</strong> national HIV/AIDS policy <strong>of</strong> 2001, which prescribes and empowers <strong>the</strong>
MoEC to work closely with TACAIDS to deliver appropriate in-school interventions. A
fur<strong>the</strong>r mandate to develop a sectoral strategic framework and directives on HIV/AIDS for
schools and workplaces has been given to <strong>the</strong> education sector through <strong>the</strong> national multisectoral
strategic framework on HIV/AIDS.
The Ministry’s concerted efforts were expressed through <strong>the</strong> issuing <strong>of</strong> Education
Circular No. 3 <strong>of</strong> 1993, which established <strong>the</strong> school HIV/AIDS education programme. The
programme was later expanded to cover all education sector staff, through Circular No. 3
issued in 2000. Many different methods have been used to deliver HIV/AIDS information to
sector staff, including issuing guidelines and directives, and conducting seminars.
However despite all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se measures, <strong>the</strong> interventions have been nei<strong>the</strong>r sufficient
nor effective in addressing <strong>the</strong> problems resulting from <strong>the</strong> AIDS epidemic. The authors
attribute this principally to <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> a dedicated education sector policy upon which a
strategic framework could be formulated. The mechanisms for <strong>the</strong> collaboration and exchange
<strong>of</strong> information, <strong>the</strong> coordination <strong>of</strong> activities and accountability at sectoral level, which would
have been outlined in such a policy, cannot be constructed on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> guidelines alone.
Consequently, <strong>the</strong>re is insufficient co-operation and even competition <strong>of</strong> priorities between
NGOs, CBOs and <strong>the</strong> education sector.
5.1.1 Recommendations
Policy formulation should precede enactment <strong>of</strong> law and <strong>the</strong> subsequent preparation <strong>of</strong>
circulars, regulations, guidelines and directives. It is impossible to realize effective and
sustainable mainstream AIDS activities within <strong>the</strong> education sector without first creating a
dedicated sectoral policy. The Ministry should <strong>the</strong>refore formulate a formal sector-specific
policy on HIV/AIDS, which should form part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current education and training policy,
ra<strong>the</strong>r than being a separate and independent programme. Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS means
including it in all key policy and strategy documents.
The section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> policy dealing with HIV/AIDS would provide <strong>the</strong> framework,
direction and general principles for prevention, care and support <strong>of</strong> those infected and affected
by <strong>the</strong> disease, including Ministry staff and those in affiliated institutions, and in mitigation <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> <strong>impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> HIV/AIDS. Issues that would need to be addressed include:
� <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> a code <strong>of</strong> conduct for teachers, dealing explicitly with HIV/AIDS;
� <strong>the</strong> processing <strong>of</strong> pensions and death gratuities;
� <strong>the</strong> management <strong>of</strong> infected and affected teachers, for example meeting transfer or
reduced workload requests.
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