HIV/AIDS Policy

In keeping with international standards and in accordance with education law and the constitutional guarantees of the right to basic education, the right not to be unfairly discriminated against, the right to life and bodily integrity, the right to privacy, the right to freedom of access to information, the right of freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion, the right to freedom of association, the right to a safe environment and the best interests of a child, the following policy shall constitute the College’s policy.

Definitions
In this policy guideline all terms and expressions used have the meaning that has been assigned to them in the South African Colleges Act (No 98 of 1998) and the Employment of Teacher Act (No 76 of 1998) or, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following shall have the meanings assigned hereunder:


 * 1) College means Beaulieu College
 * 2) HIV means the human immunodeficiency virus
 * 3) AIDS means the acquired immune deficiency syndrome, that is the final phase of HIV infection; and
 * 4) Universal precautions refers to the concept used worldwide in the context of HIV/AIDS to indicate the standard infection control procedures of precautionary measures aimed at the prevention of HIV transmission from one person to another and includes instructions concerning basic hygiene and wearing of protective clothing such as rubber gloves
 * 5) Institution means an institution for further education and training including an institution contemplated in section 38 of the Further Education and Training Act, 1998 (No. 98 of 1998)

Non-discrimination and equality with regard to pupils and teachers with HIV/AIDS

 * 1) No pupil or teacher with or perceived to have HIV/AIDS may be unfairly discriminated against.
 * 2) Pupils and teachers with HIV/AIDS should be treated in a just, humane and life-affirming way, taking into account their fears, objections and the rights of all parties affected – a fair and balanced stance is necessary in the interest of the college community.
 * 3) Any special measures required in respect of a pupil or teacher with HIV should be fair and justifiable in the light of medical facts and school conditions and must be financially feasible, considering a balance of interests of the pupil or teacher with HIV and those of other pupils, teachers and parents.

HIV/AIDS Testing: The admission of pupils to the College and the appointment of teachers

 * 1) No pupil may be denied continued attendance at the College on account of his/her HIV/AIDS status or perceived HIV/AIDS status. However, the pupil may be expected to pay an additional fee, as determined by the Board of Governors from time to time, to meet the added burden on the College to accommodate an HIV/AIDS pupil.
 * 2) No teacher may be denied the right to teach or to be promoted on account of his or her HIV/AIDS status or perceived HIV/AIDS status. HIV/AIDS status may not be the reason for dismissal of a teacher.
 * 3) Pupils are expected to attend classes in accordance with College requirements for as long as they are able to function effectively and pose no medically significant risk to others at the College.
 * 4) If and when pupils with HIV/AIDS become incapacitated through illness or pose a risk to others at the school, the College will make academic work available to them for study at home and parents should, where practically possible, be allowed to educate their children at home, at the request of parents. All such arrangements are to be made in conjunction with the Exec of the College.

Disclosure of HIV/AIDS-related information and confidentiality

 * 1) No pupil (or parent on behalf of a pupil) or teacher may be compelled to disclose his or her HIV/AIDS status to the College.
 * 2) Genuine voluntary disclosure of HIV/AIDS is welcomed and encouraged. In the event of voluntary disclosure, it may be in the best interests of a pupil with HIV/AIDS if a member of the management team of the College is informed of his or her HIV/AIDS status, either by the pupil or by the pupil’s parent(s)
 * 3) Any person to whom any information about the medical condition of a pupil or teacher with HIV/AIDS has been divulged is expected to keep this information confidential.
 * 4) Disclosures to third parties may nevertheless be authorised with the informed consent of the pupil (if the pupil is above the age of 14 years), or his or her parent, or by the written consent of the teacher, or as is justified by statutory or legal authorisation, or necessity, as would be in the case of an emergency.

Safe College environment

 * 1) The College will implement universal precautions effectively to eliminate the risk of transmission of all blood-borne pathogens, including HIV, in the College environment, as far as practical.
 * 2) The basis for advocating the consistent application for universal precautions lies in the assumption that in situations of potential exposure to HIV, all persons are potentially infected and all blood and body fluids and excretions which could be stained or contaminated with blood (e.g. tears, saliva, mucous, phlegm, urine, vomit, faeces and pus) is therefore to be treated as potentially infectious.
 * 3) Blood, especially in large spills such as from nosebleeds, should be handled with extreme caution.
 * 4) Skin exposed accidentally to blood should be cleaned promptly with water and diluted household bleach or recognised disinfectant, in every instance.
 * 5) All bleeding wounds, sores, breaks in the skin, grazes and open skin lesions should be cleaned immediately with diluted household bleach or recognised disinfectant.
 * 6) If there is a biting or scratching incident where the skin is broken, the wound should be washed thoroughly with running water and disinfectant.
 * 7) Blood splashes on the face (mucous membranes of eyes, nose or mouth) should be flushed with running water for at least three minutes.
 * 8) All open wounds, sores, breaks in the skin, grazes and open skin lesions should be covered securely with a non-porous or waterproof dressing or plaster so that there is no risk of exposure to blood.
 * 9) Cleansing and washing should always be done under running water and not in containers of water. Where running tap water is not available, containers should be used to pour water over the area to be cleansed.
 * 10) All persons attending to blood spills, open wounds, sores, breaks in the skin, grazes, open skin lesions, body fluids and excretions should wear protective latex gloves to exclude the risk of HIV transmission effectively. However, emergency treatment should not be delayed because gloves are not available. Bleeding can be managed by compression with material that will absorb the blood, for example, a towel. However, people who have skin lesions should not attempt to give first aid when no latex gloves are available.
 * 11) If blood has contaminated a surface, that surface should be cleaned with fresh, clean bleach solution or recognised disinfectant and the person responsible for this should wear latex gloves. Other body fluids and excretions that could be stained or contaminated with blood (e.g. tears, saliva, mucous, phlegm, urine, vomit, faeces and pus) should be cleaned up in a similar fashion.
 * 12) Blood-contaminated materials should be sealed in a plastic bag and incinerated or sent to an appropriate disposal firm.
 * 13) If instruments (e.g. scissors) become contaminated with blood or other body fluids, they should be washed and placed in a strong bleach solution for at least one hour before drying and re-use.
 * 14) At least two first aid kits, each of which contains the following should be available upon the College premises, and accessible from the playground and sports fields. The kits must always be replenished after use of any of the materials. Regular checks should be carried out to ensure no items have passed their expiry dates:
 * 15) Two large and two medium pairs of disposable latex gloves
 * 16) Two large and two medium pairs of rubber household gloves for handling blood-soaked materials in specific instances (e.g. when broken glass makes the use of latex gloves inappropriate);
 * 17) Absorbent material, waterproof plasters, disinfectant, scissors, cottonwool, gauze tape, tissues, containers for water and a resuscitation mouth piece or a similar device with which mouth-to-mouth resuscitation could be applied without any contact being made with blood or other body fluids.
 * 18) Universal precautions are, in essence, barriers to prevent contact with blood or body fluids. Adequate barriers can also be established by using less sophisticated devices than those described in above, such as :
 * 19) Unbroken plastic packets for indoor and outdoor use on hands where latex or rubber gloves are not available, and
 * 20) Common household bleach for use as a disinfectant, diluted one part to nine parts water (1:9 solution) made up as needed.
 * 21) All pupils, teachers and other staff members, including sports coaches, should be given appropriate information and training on HIV transmission, the application of universal precautions and the importance of adherence thereto.
 * 22) Pupils should be instructed never to touch the blood, open wounds, sores, breaks in the skin, grazes and open skin lesions of others, nor to handle emergencies such as nosebleeds, cuts and scrapes of friends on their own. They should be taught to call for the assistance of a teacher or other staff members.
 * 23) Parents of pupils should be informed about the universal precautions that will be adhered to at the College.
 * 24) All pupils, teachers and other staff members, who have come into contact with blood or other body fluids, are to be advised to contact their medical practitioner as a precaution.

Prevention of HIV transmission during play and sport
Considering:


 * 1) The risk of HIV transmission as a result of contact play and contact sport is generally insignificant.
 * 2) The risk increases where open wounds, sores, breaks in the skin, grazes, open skin lesions or mucous membranes of pupils and teachers without HIV are exposed to infected blood.
 * 3) Certain contact sport (such as rugby and boxing) may represent an increased risk of HIV transmission.
 * 4) Adequate wound management, in the form of the application of universal precautions, is essential to contain the risk of HIV transmission during contact play and contact sport.

Therefore:


 * 1) No pupil may participate in contact play or contact sport with an open wound, sore, break in the skin, graze or open skin lesion.
 * 2) If bleeding occurs during contact play or contact sport, the injured player should be taken off the playground or sports field immediately and appropriately treated. Only then may the player resume playing an only for as long as any open wound, sore, break in the skin, graze or open skin lesion remains securely covered.
 * 3) Soiled clothes must be changed.
 * 4) The same precautions should be applied to injured teachers or staff members and injured spectators.
 * 5) Sports participants, including coaches, with HIV/AIDS should preferably seek medical counselling before participation in sport, in order to assess risks to their own health as well as the risk of HIV transmission to other participants.
 * 6) Staff members acting as sports administrators, managers and coaches should ensure the availability of first-aid kits and the adherence to universal precautions in the event of bleeding during sports participation.

Education on HIV/AIDS at the College

 * 1) A continuing HIV/AIDS education programme must be implemented to all the College pupils, teachers and other staff members.
 * 2) Age appropriate education on HIV/AIDS must form part of the curriculum for all pupils and pupils and should be integrated in the life-skills education programme for the College pupils. This should include the following:
 * 3) Providing information on HIV/AIDS in South Africa and developing the life skills necessary for the prevention of these;
 * 4) Inculcating, from an early age onwards, basic first-aid principles, including how to deal with bleeding.
 * 5) Emphasising the role of drugs, sexual abuse and violence in the transmission of HIV;
 * 6) Encouraging pupils and pupils to make use of health care, counselling and support service (including services related to reproductive health care and the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases) offered by community service organisations and other disciplines.
 * 7) Teaching pupils how to behave towards persons with HIV/AIDS
 * 8) Cultivating an enabling environment and a culture of non-discrimination towards persons with HIV/AIDS; and
 * 9) Providing information on appropriate prevention and avoidance measures including abstinence from sexual intercourse, the use of condoms and the application of universal precautions.
 * 10) Education and information regarding HIV/AIDS must be given in an accurate and scientific manner and in language and terms that are understandable.
 * 11) Parents of pupils must be informed about all HIV/AIDS education offered at the College, the learning content and the methodology to be used as well as the values to be impacted. They should be invited to participate in general guidance sessions and should be made aware of their role as sexuality teacher and imparters of values at home.

Duties and responsibilities of pupils, teachers and parents

 * 1) All pupils and teachers should respect the right of other pupils and teachers.
 * 2) It should be emphasised that the ultimate responsibility for a pupil’s behaviour rests with his or her parents. Parents of all pupils:
 * 3) Are expected to require pupils to observe all rules aimed at preventing behaviour which may create the risk of HIV transmission;
 * 4) Are encouraged to take an active interest in acquiring any information or knowledge on HIV/AIDS supplied by the College and to attend meetings convened for them by the Board of Governors.
 * 5) It is recommended that a pupil or teacher with HIV/AIDS and his or her parent, in the case of pupils, should obtain medical opinion to assess whether the pupil or teacher, owing to his or her condition or conduct, poses a medically recognised significant health risk to others. If such a risk is established, the Head of the College and the Chairperson of the Board of Governors must be informed. The Head of the College, after consultation with the Chairperson of the Board of Governors, must take the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of all the other pupils, teachers and other staff members.
 * 6) Teachers have a particular duty to ensure that the rights and dignity of all pupils and teachers are respected, protected and promoted.

Refusal to study with or teach a pupil with HIV/AIDS or to work with a teacher with HIV/AIDS

 * 1) Refusal to study with a pupil or to work with a teacher with or perceived to have HIV/AIDS should be pre-empted by providing accurate and understandable information on HIV/AIDS to all teachers as well as to pupils and their parents.
 * 2) Nevertheless, pupils who refuse to study with a fellow pupil, or teachers who refuse to work with a fellow teacher or to teach a pupil with or perceived to have HIV/AIDS, should be counselled.
 * 3) The situation should be resolved by the Head and teachers and, if necessary, with the assistance of the Board of Governors of the institution in accordance with the principles contained in this policy.

Acknowledgement: SBSM College and ISASA.