The perceptions of principals and teachers of learners with HIV/Aids

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The HIV/AIDS pandemic presents many challenges to education in South Africa. TheNational Department of Education declared itself a central player in addressing themany challenges presented by HIV/AIDS. An important challenge relates to an increasein learners that experience barriers to learning and development in schools andclassrooms. Education White Paper 6 of 2001 (Department of Education, 2001)emphasised that the implementation of inclusive education in schools should take theincidence and impact of HIV/AIDS into consideration and that learners with HIV/AIDSshould be included into schools and given the necessary support to ensure qualitylearning. To successfully include and support learners with HIV/AIDS, principals andteachers should hold positive perceptions on the inclusion of these learners in schoolsand classrooms. Before strategies and techniques on how to support learners withHIV/AIDS can therefore be developed effectively, principals' and teachers' perceptionson the inclusion of these learners should be explored.This qualitative study was designed to explore the perceptions of principals and teacherson the inclusion of learners with HIV/AIDS in mainstream schools and classrooms. Theresearch was done within an interpretative paradigm. A qualitative researchmethodology was employed with purposive sampling of participants, semi-structuredindividual interviews and constant comparative analysis.Research findings indicate that learners with HIV/AIDS as a chronic illness wereaccommodated in mainstream schools and classrooms in the community underinvestigation. The findings also suggest that positive attitudes would result inmeaningful relationships between teachers, learners and parents. The findingsfurthermore indicate that certain teachers, especially those working in schools in thesenior and further education phases in the specific community, should develop morepositive perceptions of learners with HIV/AIDS in order to render appropriate supportand care. Knowledge and training were found to be lacking. The transdisciplinaryapproach to support with its emphasis on collaboration across boundaries was seen asthe most appropriate approach in addressing the diverse needs of all learners withHIV/AIDS.v

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University