High School Principals’ Experiences in Implementing HIV/AIDS Education Programs

Abstract

Young people are at the center of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, they offer a window of hope in stemming the tide of HIV/AIDS if they are reached early by HIV/AIDS education programs, whose objective is to develop the awareness, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that reduce infections. While school-based HIV/AIDS education is believed to encompass these programmatic skills, little is known about the role and experiences of principals who oversee their implementation. This paper, which is part of a larger study, uses the cultural frame to investigate the experiences of two high school principals regarding their role in implementing HIV/AIDS education programs in Kisii County, Kenya. Data were collected through interviews and participant observation.  Findings show that culture, more than policy, influences the role principals play in implementing HIV/AIDS education programs. A principal who hails from the local community where the school is situated is less likely to implement HIV/AIDS education programs that go against the community’s culture compared to one from outside. The study concluded that delocalization of principals has the potential of galvanizing the school organization to educate young people about actions they can take to protect themselves from becoming infected.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS Education, School-based AIDS Education, Principalship and HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS and Culture

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-36-01

Publication date: December 31^st 2019