AIDS slows school building in rural areas

Deaths of parents from AIDS-related illnesses in rural Swaziland has slowed the rate of school construction, school officials told Prime Minister Themba Dlamini during a visit to the north of the country. "Construction of our high school was financed by parents. Unfortunately, most of these parents have passed away and everything has stopped," Phindile Magagula, a community leader in Ludzibini, in northern Hhohho region, told Dlamini over the weekend. At 33.4 percent, Swaziland has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. The government does not construct schools, leaving it to the communities to determine their needs. Tuition fees cover basic school upkeep, electricity and water charges. The Ministry of Education provides the teachers, and recently began paying for school textbooks for primary students. Magagula said each household in Ludzibini was required to contribute about US$29 annually for the construction of a school building, which began in 2001. But by 2003, too many parents had died, and the children left behind were unable to cover the construction costs. During his day-long visit to the region, Dlamini heard similar stories in other villages. Each with a population of a few hundred, the villages reported they were burying two parents every week. "The parents are dead, but the children ... require education. It is no longer enough for government to agree to pay school fees for orphans. The children also need places to go to school," said Gugu Maziya, a teacher in the Hhohho region. However, the government's commitment to assist orphans and vulnerable children by paying their school fees has been trumped by the reality of limited resources. The UN Children's Fund estimates there are 70,000 orphans out of a national population of 1.1 million, and expects the number to rise to 120,000 by 2010. Tens of thousands of orphans are now halfway through the school year, but last week principals vowed to expel all children who had not managed to pay their fees. Education minister Constance Simelane said she was unable to resolve the crisis, and urged the principals to reconsider. Prime Minister Dlamini echoed the sentiment when he spoke to Ludzibini community members. "We need to nurture and protect our children, and I therefore call upon teachers not to turn back those owing pupils ... Every child should be given an opportunity of going to school." Dlamini urged the education ministry and school principals to seek a compromise, but did not offer a plan to finance the education of orphans and vulnerable children.