Teachers’ Union hosts five day workshop on HIV/AIDS education

Acting president of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union (SVGTU) Joy Matthews says that engaging teachers in the fight against HIV/AIDS is an enormous boost to the overall war against the disease.{{more}}

Matthews made this comment at the opening of an Education for All/AIDS workshop at the Anglican Pastoral Centre on Monday.

The third Vice President of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) acknowledged that teachers act as an agent of change in their schools and community, and have to play a crucial role in the prevention effort through education.

“To this end, the capacity of teachers to teach HIV/AIDS must be strengthened through an infusion of AIDS content in the in-service, and other educational programmes for teachers, and also the provision of relevant materials.”

She stated that the HIV/AIDS education needs to be intensified in schools, given the increasing access to quality information on the topics.

“Teachers are highly valued. Consequently, their skills place them in a position where they can effectively communicate to their students and impart skills that will enable them to make responsible decisions.”

The five-day workshop, which is scheduled to end today, is hosted by the local teachers’ union, and organized by Education International, a global organization involved in the training of teachers on HIV/AIDS related matters.

It is facilitated by Education International tutor Laura Sullivan, regional co-coordinator Virginia Albert, and Scott Pulizzi of Education Development Centre.

The teachers, who came from Grenada, Dominica, Suriname, Jamaica, Belize, St. Lucia, Guyana, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, are being trained in areas of knowledge, skills and confidence that would enable them to plan and implement HIV/AIDS related courses in their schools and communities.(JJ)