IBE HIV & AIDS Mandate

Responding to the UNESCO Director-General's request for a scaled-up response for HIV & AIDS education, and in order to create responsive, locally - and globally - relevant and sustainable programmes that are based on basic needs satisfaction in learning processes and curriculum change processes, the IBE has set up a cross-cutting programme on HIV & AIDS curricula.

This programme draws upon the resources and modes of action of the three basic programmes of the IBE:

1) Capacity building for curriculum development link
2) Documentation and analysis of trends and good practices link
3) Policy dialogue link

The goal of the IBE HIV & AIDS programme is provide the resources required by the inter-agency educational response to HIV & AIDS, specifically as regards curricula contents and methods, and the development, implementation and evaluation of curricula at the primary and secondary levels of formal education.

The specific objectives of this programme are:

(i) to manage an interactive resource bank that contains curriculum documents, teaching and learning materials, teaching aids, case studies of good practice, studies and research on curriculum development, implementation and evaluation;

Establishment of the Clearinghouse on Curriculum for HIV & AIDS Education
The International Clearinghouse on Curriculum for HIV & AIDS Education aims at providing a valuable and interactive resource tool for the prevention and mitigation of HIV & AIDS through education. It provides through its databank a selection of curricula and good practices to improve the educational response HIV & AIDS.

(ii) to develop and promote research, seminars and workshops that will enable curriculum developers in the most affected countries - and in countries on the edge of a full-scale HIV epidemic - to be better equipped with skills and knowledge in providing national and regional responses within the school/education sector;

Capacity building to develop HIV & AIDS curriculum
Capacity building activities aim to train curriculum specialists as well as teacher trainers and other educators in various contexts, so that they can themselves bring about changes and better integrate HIV & AIDS education in the formal curricula and programmes for schools and training institutions.

(iii) to develop and promote a dialogue on HIV & AIDS contents in school curricula among policy makers, curriculum specialists and education practitioners.

Policy dialogue for HIV & AIDS education
Integrating effectively HIV & AIDS education in the curriculum also requires awareness and support from policy-makers and other stakeholders. Through its programme, IBE seeks to promote a fruitful dialogue among the different actors involved in the curriculum development process, so that HIV & AIDS can be effectively integrated in curricula and programmes.