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Life-skills-based HIV Education in Schools

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Percentage of schools that provided life-skills based education in the last academic year

ID: 
656
What it measures: 

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To assess progress towards implementation of life-skills based HIV education in all schools
Life-skills based education is an effective methodology that uses participatory exercises to teach behaviours to young people that help them deal with the challenges and demands of everyday life. It can include decision-making and problem-solving skills, creative and critical thinking, self-awareness, communication and interpersonal relations. It can also teach young people how to cope with their emotions and causes of stress. When adapted specifically for HIV education in schools, a life-skills based approach helps young people understand and assess the individual, social and environmental factors that raise and lower the risk of HIV transmission. When implemented effectively, it can have a positive effect on behaviours, including delay in sexual debut and reduction in number of sexual partners.
 

Numerator: 

Number of schools that provided life-skills based HIV education in the last academic year
 

Denominator: 

Number of schools surveyed
 

Data Type: 
Percent
Unit: 
N/A
Multiplier: 
N/A
Composite Indicator: 
No
Calculation: 
Numerator / Denominator
Method of measurement: 
  Principals/heads of a nationally-representative sample of schools (to include both private and public schools) are briefed on the meaning of life-skills based HIV education and then are asked the following question: Within the last academic year, did your school provide at least 30 hours of life-skills training to each grade? Indicator scores are required for all schools combined and for primary and secondary schools separately. If the school provides both primary and secondary education, information should be collected and reported separately for both levels of education.  
Data Collection
Data Collection Method: 
Survey: school
Programme review
Measurement Frequency: 
Biennial
Epidemic Type: 
Concentrated/low level
Generalized
Indicator Type: 
Programme / Service Delivery
Indicator Level: 
National
Disaggregations
Education: 
Primary
Secondary
Gender: 
N/A
Geographic Location: 
N/A
Pregnancy: 
N/A
Sector: 
N/A
Target: 
N/A
Time Period: 
N/A
Type of Orphan: 
N/A
Vulnerability Status: 
N/A
HIV Status: 
N/A
Service Type: 
N/A
Condom Type: 
N/A
Strengths and weaknesses: 

It is important that life-skills based HIV education is initiated in the early grades of primary school and
then continued throughout schooling with contents and methods being adapted to the age and experience
of the students.

The indicator provides useful information on trends in the coverage of life-skills based HIV education
within schools. However, the substantial variations in the levels of school enrolment must be taken into
account when interpreting (or making cross-country comparisons of) this indicator. Consequently,
primary and secondary school enrolment rates for the most recent academic year should be included in
the supporting information provided for this indicator.

Complementary strategies that address the needs of out-of-school youth will be particularly important in
countries where school enrolment rates are low.

The indicator is a measure of coverage. The quality of education provided may differ by country and over
time.
 

Preferred Indicator: 
Core National Indicator - UNGASS
Agency: 
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
Relevance: 
2009 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS)
Status: 
Active
Document link: 
UNAIDS. United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS. Monitoring the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. Guidelines on construction of core indicators, 2005 (988.94 KB)
Generalized Epidemic: Indicator 3, page 28
UNAIDS. United Nations General Assembly Special Session: Guidelines on Construction of Core Indicators. 2007. (532.17 KB)
Indicator 11, page 46
UNAIDS. Monitoring the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS: Guidelines on Construction of Core Indicators, 2010 Reporting. 2009. (609.18 KB)
Indicator 11, page 46
GFATM. Monitoring and evaluation toolkit: HIV, tuberculosis and malaria and health systems strengthening, 2009 (2.38 MB)
HIV-P5, page 91
Keywords
Programme Focus General: 
Infrastructure
Prevention
Programme Focus Specific: 
Training
Site / Setting: 
Schools
Goal - Initiative or Country: 
Initiative
Related Indicators: 
Life-skills-based HIV education in schools