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Adolescence Education Programme: teachers to be awarded for imparting quality HIV/AIDS awareness

© UNICEF/India/2005

The objective of the AEP is to provide 100 per cent quality coverage for all senior schools in the country so that students in Grades IX–XI have adequate and accurate knowledge about HIV in the context of life-skills.

The Adolescence Education programme (AEP) is positioned by the Department of Education and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) as a key intervention in preventing new HIV infections and reducing social vulnerability to the infection. The programme is implemented in all states across the country through the Department of Education (DoE) in collaboration with the State AIDS Control Societies (SACS).

The objective of the AEP is to provide 100 per cent quality coverage for all senior schools in the country so that students in Grades IX–XI have adequate and accurate knowledge about HIV in the context of life-skills.
The objective is to give recognition/appreciation to teachers implementing the Adolescence Education Programme effectively.

The AEP aims to support Young People’s Right to:
• know about themselves, their adolescence and their sexuality
• basic facts on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI)
• develop and reinforce life skills that enable them to protect themselves
• dispel myths and clarify misconceptions
• find ways where they can help fight the HIV epidemic and encourage positive attitudes towards people living with HIV.

The AEP is conducted by the nodal teacher using a minimum of 16 hours /academic year. The 16 hours include four sessions on:
• Growing Up & Adolescence
• STIs & HIV/AIDS
• Skills for HIV Prevention
• Question Box and Activity Session

Evaluation and preliminary analysis of 2005 coverage has indicated that although planned nationwide coverage for 2005-2006 is 86%:
• implementation of AEP has been initiated in very few states
• teachers, who are the most effective communicators of HIV prevention information, are still reticent and shy in communicating on sexuality and growing up issues with young people.

A Teachers Awards/Recognition has been mooted to strengthen the quality of implementation of the programme.  The objective is to give recognition/appreciation to teachers implementing the Adolescence Education Programme effectively.  Teachers will be selected in four categories:
1. Confidante of students
2. Most innovative practices in classroom
3. Thorough knowledge on the subject
4. The most approachable - easy to talk to

Three teachers will be identified in each of these categories at the District, State and National level. For the first year the recognition will be given to teachers in approximately 200 districts across ten states. It is expected that 12 teachers will be recognized at each of the district, state and the national level.