MoEYS Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia HIV/AIDS in the Education Sector in Cambodia The 7th Meeting of WGEFA, UNESCO Paris, July 2006 Presentation by H.E. Im Sethy Secretary of State and Vice Chair of the National EFA Commission

Why is HIV/AIDS Education Important in Cambodia?  Tragic history: The country can’t loose another generation.  Highest prevalent rate (1.9%) of the region,  50% of pop. is less than 20 years old and have new risks and temptations,  30% of the population (>15-year old) is illiterate and not always have access to information on HIV/AIDS  Over 10,000 Street Children in Phnom Penh,  58% of girls drop out of school after grade 5 (57% for boys)

Estimated number of people aged living with HIV/AIDS, , Cambodia:

HIV/AIDS is a priority for the Royal Government of Cambodia:  The Government needs to continue to rebuilt the society and ensuring proper education and health services,  Cambodian youth is increasingly exposed to HIV/AIDS and to new social temptation and risks. In this context, MoEYS is implementing a National programme to deliver HIV/AIDS education in public school as well as reaching out to the most vulnerable children who do not yet have access to education.

What are the Legal Instruments?  The National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan : To reduce new infections of HIV/AIDS; To provide care and support to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS; To alleviate the socio-economic & human impact of AIDS on the individual, family, community & society.  The National Law on HIV/AIDS mentions that MoEYS is responsible for: Integrating HIV/AIDS education in school curriculum; Focusing on In and Out-of-School Youth; Training Teachers; Cooperating with the civil society and NGOs.

Why is it important for MoEYS to fight HIV/AIDS ? At least 3 reasons:  MoEYS is responsible for the Cambodian youth (in and out of school),  MoEYS is responsible for protecting its labor force from HIV/AIDS (over 100,000 staff),  MoEYS needs to develop new teaching methodologies and address new sensitive topics such as reproductive health and drug abuses.

What will happen if HIV/AIDS infections increase ?  The enrolment will fall,  Skilled teachers could die,  Drop outs will increase,  The quality of education will decrease,  The financial resources allocated to education could be reduced to cover health.

How is the MoEYS organized to fight HIV/AIDS?  The Interdepartmental Committee for HIV/AIDS (ICHA) was created in 1999 and is chaired by a Secretary of State,  ICHA is composed of 15 MoEYS Departments,  ICHA has a Strategic Plan and Annual Work Plans, supported by bilateral and multilateral donors,  ICHA 2006 annual budget is over USD 1,3 million.  DFID is providing a budget of USD 5 million

ICHA ‘s Top Priorities:  Develop HIV/AIDS policies and systems,  Develop HIV/AIDS curriculum and textbooks,  Train teachers (Pre and In-Service),  National preventive education program for (approx. 6 million Cambodian youth),  Raise awareness of the MoEYS staff,  Reduce stigma and discrimination,  Progressively address sensitive topics and issues (Reproductive health, Drugs, Street Children).

The Ministry’s main achievements:  HIV/AIDS is integrated in the Curriculum in grade 6,7,8 and 9,  A Life Skills Policy is implemented,  HIV/AIDS is part of the National Examination Plans,  HIV/AIDS textbooks and IEC are produced,  Pre and In-Service Teacher Trainings are progressively implemented across the country.  A Donor Coordination mechanism is established.

Integrating HIV/AIDS in the Education Reform Program:  Educational Plans (EFA, ESP and a related ESSP) have included measures to address a number of cross-cutting issues, including ICT and HIV/AIDS  Develop an effective partnership and to decentralize the planning and management of HIV/AIDS awareness programs  Need to put in place sustainable financing systems for HIV/AIDS awareness program delivery

Longer Term HIV/AIDS Planning in Education:  Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is not a sufficient condition for HIV/AIDS related behavior change  Adopt a long term and inter-generational view of HIV/AIDS prevention, involving grandparents, parents, young people and students  Continue to concentrate our efforts on rebuilding the society and ensuring proper education and health services to our population

Conclusion:  Inclusive and universal schooling is designed to optimize the effectiveness and coverage of specific HIV/AIDS education programs  Improve opportunities to attend school as a key strategy in reducing the vulnerability of Cambodia’s young people to HIV/AIDS

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