Contextualising Hiv and Aids Education: The Dilemmas Faced by Primary School Teachers in Zimbabwe

This study sought to investigate the dilemmas experienced by primary school teachers in Zimbabwe as they teach HIV and AIDS Education. Fifteen (7 females and 8 males) out of twenty nine (29) teachers enrolled for an in-service Bachelor of Education programme at Great Zimbabwe University and specialising in Social Studies participated in the study. Intensive task based interviews and focus discussions in which the participants articulated dilemmas related to the content taught and the methodology used in the context of the age, culture and personal circumstances of the learners as well as textbook analysis were used as the research instruments. Qualitative techniques were utilised to present, analyse and discuss the collected data. The major finding was that teachers face dilemmas as they want to ‘tell it as it is’ (which would entail delivering accurate and comprehensive information on HIV and AIDS, employing relevant methodology and using precise language) but at the same time being sensitive to the above contexts. The researcher concluded that the pandemic is too real and its effects devastating to allow these constraints to prevent effective delivery of HIV and AIDS Education. Teachers, pupils and communities should be bold enough to disseminate and accept HIV and AIDS facts as they really are if this scourge is to be effectively tackled.