Sissel Tove Olsen

Turning a Blind Eye to Hiv / Aids?: Support Provision to Schools in a Context of Hiv / Aids, Poverty and Gender Inequality Sissel Tove Olsen

This book aims to explore and describe support provision in a South African primary school, examining, in particular, the relative significance of leadership, organisational development and gender-related matters in addressing the needs of children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and poverty. The availability and quality of this support is analysed within the context of the education system transforming itself from a system focused on controlling schools to a system focused on supporting schools. This South African case study shows that the wide-spread poverty affecting many school learners, seems to ?blind' teachers and consequently also support providers in terms of ?seeing' the learner in a context of HIV/AIDS. All stakeholders within the field of education, and in particular with regard to current practices of school support structures, should benefit from the recommendations flowing from this book. The analysis provides useful insight into the overall transformation process of the education system, not only in South Africa, but in other countries as well. In this way, the book should serve as a contribution to enhance the quality of education for all children.