Education and Life Skills
Impressive strides made by Swaziland in the educational sector after independence in 1968 had eroded by the late 1990s due to economic stagnation, increasing poverty and HIV and AIDS. Whilst the education sector is a critical component in alleviating poverty and reducing the prevalence of HIV and AIDS, it is also one of the sectors worst affected by these challenges. The growing number of orphans and vulnerable children places the education system under increasing strain, as fewer families can afford to pay fees and teachers are faced with children who live under difficult emotional and physical circumstances. Many children drop out of school because they cannot afford uniforms, books and other school related costs. Significant disparities exist in children’s access to education. Access is determined by various factors, including poverty and gender. The girl child, by custom, is burdened with care giving and household responsibilities which invariably affect performance in school and eventually lead to dropouts. The Government continues to show high commitment to achieving universal access to education through the allocation of education grants for orphans and vulnerable children, and by supplying free text books and stationery to primary schools. However, in spite of these impressive efforts, there are still many children unable to attend school, with some illegally crossing the South African border on a daily basis to find more affordable schools. ACTION The Ministry is also receiving support to implement and monitor its Universal Primary Education plan (UPE), which is expected to lead to increased enrolment and improved primary education, including a 30 percent reduction in repetition rates, and an increase in net enrolment rates to at least 90 per cent by 2010. Under this project, the number of community child protection personnel will be increased and strengthened to provide quality non-formal education to out-of-school children. A Gender and Life Skills project aimed at developing gender-based life skills materials and resources is ongoing. Teachers and community facilitators are being trained to work in both school and after-school activities, while the capacity of the education ministry is being strengthened to mainstream HIV and gender in schools. Under the Schools as Centres of Care and Support project, UNICEF and partners are advocating for school communities that care for children both in- and out-of-school and for families affected by poverty and HIV and AIDS. The project is working towards transforming schools into institutions that adopt and use child-friendly approaches in dealing with HIV and AIDS, gender, violence and other related issues. Primary school teachers and community child protectors are being equipped with knowledge and skills to enable them to protect the rights of girls, and to advance gender equity through appropriate life-skills training and psychosocial support to both girls and boys. Working through schools and clubs linked to community structures, children are provided with skills that ensure commitment to protecting each other (both boys and girls) from risks of abuse, and supporting the development of younger siblings.
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