Letting Them Fail
Government Neglect and the Right to Education
for Children Affected by AIDS

I. Summary and Main Recommendations

II. Methods

III. Background

HIV/AIDS and access to education
Surveys of AIDS-affected children’s school performance
Human rights standards
Note on Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda

IV. Findings from Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda

Children as caregivers in the home
Children left on their own
Emotional burdens and AIDS-related stigma
Schools ill-equipped
Abuse and discrimination within extended and foster families
Girls’ exposure to sexual violence and exploitation
Abuses against parents and guardians that in turn harm children
Child-headed households
Orphaned and living with HIV/AIDS
Lack of support to community-based organizations

V. National and International Responses

VI. Conclusion

VII. Detailed Recommendations

To national, provincial, and local governments in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda
To international agencies and donors to HIV/AIDS programs operating in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda,
including the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United Nations, and bilateral donors
To the abovementioned governments and donors

Acknowledgements

Appendix: Human Rights Watch’s Work on HIV/AIDS and Children’s Rights

October 2005   Vol. 17, No. 13(A)