Abstract
M.Ed.
South Africa has the fastest growing HIV and AIDS epidemic in the world and it has
become the leading cause of death in the country. Its greatest impact is felt on the
economically active population. Educators form part of this population. Mitigating the
impact of the disease on the education sector is critical, for education is seen as the
'social vaccine' against the HIV and AIDS epidemic, in the absence of a medical
cure.
HIV and AIDS have serious ramifications for the education sector. The AIDS tragedy
will continue to manifest itself in an increase in the number of AIDS orphans, as
educators succumb to the disease, and learners are taken out of school to take care
of ailing parents. In order to manage the impact of the disease in schools, the
implementation and management of the HIV and AIDS policy are essential. The
purpose of this study was to determine the impact educator knowledge on HIV and
AIDS had on the management of the HIV and AIDS policy. It further attempted to
assess whether educator knowledge on the HIV and AIDS policy impacted on the
management thereof. Finally, it examined how the training needs with respect to the
aforementioned, as well as the training needs of educators to provide care and
support to people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS, impacted on the
management of the HIV and AIDS policy.
The research was conducted within the Ekurhuleni East District (D5). The
quantitative method was deemed most appropriate for the study. A questionnaire
was used to illicit educator responses. The deductions made from the study, is that
educator knowledge about HIV and AIDS and the HIV and AIDS policy is not one
hundred percent correct. Inaccurate information regarding the subject and the policy
has the potential to perpetuate and fuel the epidemic. The study also concluded that
there was a greater need for training in order to provide care and support to people
infected and affected by HIV and AIDS as apposed to training on the subject of HIV
and AIDS and the policy content. An important deduction from the research is that
even though educators believe themselves to be knowledgeable about HIV and
AIDS, there is a definite need for on-going training.