Education and Sports Sector HIV Prevention Strategic Plan 2011-2015

Abstract

Executive Summary. Provision of education to children and youths in the country is the responsibility of the government of Uganda; the purposes of Uganda's education system are to promote; citizenship; moral, ethical, and spiritual values; promote scientific, technical and cultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes; eradicate literacy and equip individuals with basic skills and knowledge and with the ability to "contribute to the building of an integrated, self-sustaining and independent national economy." Accordingly, in the National Development Plan 2010/11-2014/15, Education and Sports Sector (ESS) is one of the key social sectors to be addressed in order for the country to achieve its vision of "A transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years". Against the above background, however, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda is increasingly threatening the right and access to education and the attainment of "Education for All" goal by 2015 by affecting the supply, demand and quality of education. These effects result into increased drop in access to education, performance, transition rates and in education demand in general. It also causes an increase in teacher morbidity and mortality, workload, absenteeism, attrition and poor quality of teaching and increased demand for treatment and other AIDS services and costs within an already struggling sector. HIV/AIDS has also resulted in the need to reform curricula, policies, plans and budgets of the sector. This ESS HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan has been developed to guide in the contribution of the sector to the goals for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment, social support and systems strengthening in the context of the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan, by addressing the impact noted above.