- JOMTIEN, Thailand, (AFP)
- The AIDS pandemic has had a bigger effect on teaching than any other
profession, and threatens to wipe out the trade in Africa within 10 years,
a global conference heard Thursday.
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- "The percentage of teachers who have died or carry
the HIV virus is higher than for most professional groups," said Fred
van Leeuwen, secretary general of Education International (EI).
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- EI, a confederation of around 300 teaching unions and
organisations from 155 countries, is holding a conference in the Thai capital,
focusing on teaching in the age of globalisation.
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- Over five days, the 1,300 delegates and observers will
discuss the commercialisation of education, employment rights of teachers
and the effects of information technology.
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- But this year the group is also sounding the alarm over
the devasting effects of HIV-AIDS on the profession.
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- Some 35-40 percent of secondary school teachers in Botswana
are infected with the HIV virus, it said, adding that the incidence in
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi and Zambia is also worryingly
high.
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- "In the next 10 years, if nothing is done, the ranks
of teachers will completely disappear in Africa," said Monique Fouilhoux,
the EI's AIDS specialist.
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- "Because of AIDS, there is a shortage of teachers,"
said Pitso Mosothoane, representative of the Lesotho Association of Teachers.
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- There are also concerns that teachers are abusing their
position to sexually exploit children under their care, helping fuel the
transmission of the deadly disease.
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- "There is reason to believe that there are colleagues
taking advantage of their position by having sexual relations with students,"
said Van Leeuwen.
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- This year, in conjunction with other international institutions
including UNESCO, EI intends to make AIDS prevention an integral part of
its education mission.
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- In the process, they will have to counter significant
cultural barriers which hamper frank discussion of the topic, a problem
which is particularly severe outside the cities.
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- "In Botswana, the only place where it is difficult
to talk about AIDS is in rural area," said Japhta Radibe, representative
of the Botswana Teachers Union.
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- "Even before HIV-AIDS we had a shortage of teachers,
but the pandemic has aggravated it," she said.
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