CHENNAI: Persons living with HIV are treated poorly at schools as well. Though TANSCAS records show there are close to 10,000 HIV+ children, (there are also HIV— children born to HIV+ parents) almost 99 per cent of the students do not disclose their status for fear of stigma.According to Dr Thennarasu, regional coordinator for Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry, Care and Support, TANSACS, the children would not get admission to schools otherwise. Reasons given to deny admission can range from poor performance, to “they won’t be able to pay fees”. According to Tamil, an HIV+ activist from Tiruchy some schools openly say they won’t be able to answer to the parents of other children, so they don’t want to admit the positive child. “Others come up with reasons like admission is over, you cannot afford the fees, they will fall sick, and it is not good for the school’s image,” says Tamil.In September 2010, the Parent Teachers Association and school administration of Aachirapakkam Government Middle school in Kancheepuram decided not to allow 20 HIV+ children from Hope Foundation (a home for HIV+ children) to continue their education, when they came to know about their HIV status. “They told us not sent the children to school, but to teach them at the home itself, and send them to school only for the exams,” Balan, the home’s manager says. The children are still being taught at the home though the State Education department is looking at admitting them under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Indu, a mother, raises a parent’s concern: Are the school teachers and the others (ayahs, gate keepers, security) in the school adequately trained to handle an emergency when an HIV+ child meets with an injury? If the school management can guarantee that then I have no problem in having a HIV+ child studying in the same class as my child,” she says.
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