"One Hour on AIDS": Teachers take action on World AIDS Day!

Education International is pleased to announce a new initiative to mark World AIDS Day in classrooms. "One Hour on AIDS" will see learners around the world benefiting from a lesson on AIDS on the same day. To help teachers give this lesson, EI are sending out an activity kit or lesson plan which they can adapt to their own school environment and students.  Make sure you get a copy and take action at your school on World AIDS Day!

Taking place each year on December 1, World AIDS Day is all about raising awareness on HIV and AIDS (please note that as December 1 falls on a Saturday this year, teachers may wish to celebrate it on Friday November 30). Teachers have a key role to play in this campaign. They are needed to provide education that can act as a social vaccine against HIV.

This year, Education International, in collaboration with its partner organisation the Education Development Centre (EDC), has designed a World AIDS Day activity to be used by teachers and learners in schools and classrooms, but also potentially in the context of union meetings, HIV prevention clubs and so on.

The idea is as follows: with 'One Hour on AIDS' as their guiding theme, teachers around the world will be able to give their students a lesson on AIDS with the help of a simple kit provided by EI. The intention is not to limit learning about HIVAIDS to one hour a year but rather to use this as a point of departure for activities throughout the year.

The kit provides a succinct introduction and background to the teachers so that they can facilitate the activity. It also describes the global pandemic according to how teachers and learners across the world are affected by AIDS. The activity's objective is to sensitise participants and to encourage them to participate in the campaign against the pandemic.

The activity begins by challenging learners to respond to a question or statement in small groups. For example, "HIV can be spread by shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive or by sharing the same toilets, eating utensils, or chalk".

Each group will come up with a different statement or question. The kit provides teachers with prompts to get the groups to think through the different aspects of these statements and questions: what does it mean to me as an individual, to my friends, my family, the community, the country, and globally? These small groups will then share their responses and invite others to comment in the larger group. The teacher will then facilitate the class in synthesising the range of opinions expressed. The objective is to allow participants to explore and express their views on HIV and AIDS in the classroom, and if interested, globally through EI.

The teacher will then describe the several ways that individuals can respond to AIDS. These include: starting with oneself by taking universal precautions, not stigmatising others who have the illness; making changes in the school (advocating for classes on HIV and AIDS to be taught and advocating for anti-discrimination policies; increasing awareness (performing a drama, holding a poster competition); getting involved in the community (volunteer at an AIDS service organisation, donate food or clothing); taking global action (write to politicians and newspapers to support universal treatment, attend/organise a rally).

These ideas are presented on a special poster that can be hung on the wall and referred to throughout the year. Interested participants can pledge to take action on any of these and the teacher will record these pledges. This poster has been developed by EI and EDC and is being sent to all EI affiliates this week.

After the event has taken place, teachers unions will be asked to send back a summary of the discussions that took place and the action pledges made which we will compile, analyse, and include in a report. The report will then be sent to all EI affiliates. It will also be possible to post responses on the EI website.

"One Hour on AIDS" is an activity that will help teachers' unions and their members to explore what AIDS means to them and encourage them to find a way to help respond to the pandemic.