tp. Prevention fhrough Education TheReview Wednesday, May 2, 1990 A13 “Saanich schools aren’t closed to AIDS victims by Valorie Lennox The Review Students or staff who are AIDS victims will not be barred from District 63 schools unless they are deemed to pose a health hazard, trustee Anne Johnston told an i B- April 19 forum on AIDS. i. Speaking at Stelly’s Secondary school, she predicted the first case faced by the district will involve a Staff member, since most AIDS patients are between 29 and 40 years of age. The district developed the pol- icy before any cases arose because of the potentially volatile public reaction once a case is identified, Johnston said. Public concern over AIDS arises both because the disease is usually - fatal and because AIDS has been linked with homosexuality, sexual promiscuity and use of intravenous drugs. a* Yer, among the victims of AIDS are children infected by their mothers and hemophiliacs who received infected blood, Johnston said. ~ Since the disease cannot be transmitted by casual contact, the district policy is that students or staff with AIDS or family mem- bers of an AIDS victim shall not be excluded from the school sys- tem. Each case will be assessed indi- vidually and the person removed from the school system only on the advice of the District’s medical health officer or if the course of the illness prevents employment or continued schooling. The identity of the student or staff member with AIDS will be confidential, Johnston said. “School District 63 shall ensure the right of the individual to carry on normal activities within the school system,” Johnston added. District policy also recommends education on AIDS’ for students and staff, plus an annual review of the policy to keep up with new medical knowledge. AIDS was the deciding factor in the provincial govermment’s quick development of a Family Life Program, proposed in February 1987 and in place by September 1987, said district counselling head David Hardcastle. “That's an incredibly short time for implementation,’ he said. Usually it takes two years for programs to be developed. The Family Life Program includes 10) hour-long lessons for Grades 7 to 10 and a condensed four-hour program for Grades 11 and 12. The program provides basic information on human sexuality, covers tisk behaviors and advo- cates postponing sexual activity. In addition to information on (TIME TO PLAN YOUR VACATION? Travel Guides Maps language Tapes Phrase Books Flags Atlases Nautical Charts AIDS, the program gives informa- tion on other sexually transmitted diseases and on obtaining further information from community health professionals. This year the district held an afternoon forum on sex and teen- agers for Grade 11 and 12 students at all three secondary schools. It included discussion of AIDS and other sexually. transmitted dis- eases, along with debate and ques- tions about teenage pregnancy and sexual activity. — Hardcastle said he was impressed by the interest and maturity shown by the students participating in the forum, an opinion echoed by Nairn Hollott of AIDS Vancouver Island, who attended the forums. However, Hardcastle said the scholastic pressures on Grade 11 and 12 students limits family life education to only four hours dur- ing the year, suggesting that the topic is not an important part of the curriculum. Hollott said the sexuality per- meating society makes teenagers feel they should be sexually active. Parents have told her of teenagers who think there is something wrong with them because they are BUY daly Gift Baskets fer Ail Occasions - FREE Balloons with Every Purchase - FREE Local Delivery MOTHER'S DAY BASKETS from $19.95 656-0298 not engaging in sexual activity. One test showed young people in the province were the best informed in the country about AIDS, but that still didn’t change their risky behavior, Hardcastle said. Hollott noted B.C. has the high- est per capita AIDS rate in Can- ada, yet most AIDS support groups get no government funding THEFIRST SIGNOF “WEIGHT LOSS -ISARINGING © ~~ INTHE EAR. HURRY. CALL TODAY. Dieta Center The weight-loss professionals HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 6:30 am - 5:00 pm Now Open Saturdays 8:00 am - 11:00 am MARINA COURT, SIDNEY 9843 Second St. 656-9505 © 1990 Dict Center, Inc Specd of weight loss varices with individual and are run by volunteers. 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