The Ministry of Health’s National STD/AIDS Control Programme has recommended integrating HIV/STD prevention measures, including condom use, pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis, into the country’s school syllabus.
Accordingly, the National Institute of Education is set to introduce HIV/STD prevention measures in the Grade 10 science textbook, it is reported.
The aim of this move is to identify and address the shortcomings in the current syllabus and provide students with age-appropriate, evidence-based knowledge.
Specialist Dr. Vino Dharmakulasinghe told the Daily Mirror that currently, science and health and physical education textbooks only state that HIV can be prevented through ‘responsible sexual behavior’ without describing specific biomedical prevention methods.
The doctor says a recent review has highlighted that this lack of information is leading to students not being adequately informed about key prevention strategies.
She further explains that the findings of the 2024 Global School Health Survey highlight the urgent need for reform.
It revealed that only 63% of students reported having heard of HIV or AIDS.
In 2016, that awareness was at 77%, a sharp decline.
Similarly, the number of students who have learned how to prevent HIV infection in class has decreased from 67.1% in 2016 to 44.2% in 2024.
And 4.6% of students admitted to having had sex.
In addition to curriculum reform, the Ministry of Education will also prioritize teacher training.
Teachers and school counselors should receive pre-service and in-service training on HIV prevention strategies, and they should be able to deliver lessons with confidence and consistency, adds specialist Dr. Vino Dharmakulasinghe.
However, the Ministry of Education has not yet responded to this issue.