| dc.description.abstract | The education sector in Kenya, like all other sectors has not been spared the scourge of HIV and AIDS. Children of School going age have been rendered most Vulnerable when they become orphans impacting schooling in terms of learning, enrolment, participation in extras curricula activities retention and completion of schooling. Hence, education is therefore seen as a tool that has the potential to assist pupils and teachers to cope with grief and impart skills that can make orphans organize their lives.
The General objective of this study therefore, was to find out the broad interventions undertaken in public primary schools in the response to the educational needs of HIV/AIDS and schooling in Thika Municipality. Specifically the study was to determine the needs of HIV I AIDS in public primary schools in Thika Municipality; to identify the interventions undertaken by public primary schools for the wellbeing of the HIV/AIDS orphaned pupils: to find the effectiveness of the interventions undertaken by public primary schools and to assess the relevance of School Community partnerships in meeting the educational needs of HIV IAIDS orphans.
The study design was descriptive. Data was collected from the entire universe of the 24 public primary schools in Thika Municipality. Purposive Sampling technique was used to select a total of 44 respondents i.e. all the twenty four Head Teachers and twenty teachers from lower and upper primary class teachers and the counseling teacher. Questionnaires and interviews were the main tools of data collection. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used during the analysis process.
The study revealed that 10% of all children enrolled in Thika Municipality public schools were HIV IS AIDS. The major educational need of HIVIAIDS orphans was revealed as .food with 92% of the respondents attesting to this whose availability had a major impact on school enrollment, attendance, retention. completion. It was found to account for wastage and to contribute to antisocial behavior.
The major health problem faced by HIV/AIDS orphans was HIV infections (41.67 %) and cumulatively 33.1 % of the health problems were sexual abuse .This was explained by the fact that many of the orphans lived on what was described as 'hovels' in slum areas and where prostitution was rife .This had a tremendous impact on schooling. The study revealed that Head teachers response to the educational needs were varied and included having feeding programmes, allowing orphans to come to school a little late, remedial class, looking for donors to help them proceed to secondary school, counseling, referrals, placement in children's homes. Another important finding of this study was the fact that school and community partnership are essential in responding the educational needs of HIV/AIDS orphans.
This collaboration extended to self-help books, religious bodies. NGOs and the government. The help extended included moral support. material items such as food and clothing, legal assistance and financial support. However, the extent to which the head teachers collaborated with the community depended on the head teacher's resourcefulness and given the managerial duties they have their loyalty is to the Ministry of Education, their employer and of whom they were agents.
From the above findings, it is evident that response to the educational needs of HIV/AIDS is manifested, School attendance, retention. completion for HIV/AIDS orphans is contingent upon meeting their physical, social. emotional psychological and spiritual needs. In other words. being an HIV/AIDS orphan is exacerbated by factors both within and outside school.
The Kenya government need to strengthen the capacities of schools so they can respond to the needs of HIV/AIDS orphans by for example schools providing one meal a day. It should improve school enrolment, attendance, retention and completion for HIV/AIDS orphans. | en_US |
