Teacher awareness and support to HIV infected and affected learners: A case of secondary schools in Ngora District

Abstract

This study examined the support teachers provide to learners infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS in secondary schools in Ngora district. Specifically, the study assessed teachers’ awareness of the existence of HIV infected and affected learners in schools; teachers’ perception of challenges HIV infected and affected learners encounter; and finally, determined the kind of support teachers provide to HIV infected and affected learners. This study used a cross sectional design employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A total of 165 respondents from seven secondary schools participated in the study. Self-administered questionnaires and interview guides were used as research instruments. The data was processed and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 from which frequency counts and percentages were computed. Further still, relationships among research variables were established using correlations. The study found out that the level of teachers’ awareness of existence of HIV infected and affected learners in secondary schools in Ngora district, is high, and teachers’ awareness of HIV infected and affected learners positively and significantly influences their perception of challenges HIV infected and affected learners face at school in Ngora district (r. value of 0.438 and P≤0.00); challenges HIV infected and affected learners encounter at school according to the teachers include stigma and discrimination, inadequate economic and nutritional support. Finally, this study found out that teachers provide different kinds of support involving emotional and psychological support to HIV infected and affected learners in secondary schools in Ngora. Teachers’ awareness of HIV infected and affected learners also has positive and significant relationship with the kind of support teachers provide to infected and affected learners (r. value of 0.174 and P≤0.10). This study concludes that teachers in the secondary schools in Ngora are aware of the existence of HIV infected and affected learners in schools; challenges HIV infected and affected learners face at school; and finally, it was established that teachers have played vital roles in providing support to HIV infected and affected learners. This study recommends that in order to enhance the support teachers provide to HIV infected learners, the Ministry of Education and Sports should provide targeted training for teachers on HIV counseling and psycho-social support skills; the scope of school interventions on HIV/AIDS that basically focuses on prevention should be widened to include linkage to care and support for the infected and affected learners as well; school administrators together with teachers should encourage supportive school environment to disclosure and subsequently, effective learning by learners.