This document has been compiled by the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)/UNESCO HIV/AIDS Impact on Education Clearinghouse in cooperation with POLICY /Futures Group.

Education plays a pivotal role in shaping the lives of children and young adults. Yet, schools can be breeding grounds for potentially damaging behaviors that remain with pupils into adulthood.

International campaigns aimed at increasing access to schooling worldwide have led to unprecedented numbers of children attending school in recent years. As more students attend school, what happens in and around schools becomes more of a concern.

This article discusses the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and mainly on the issue of children orphaned by AIDS. With the introduction of HIV/AIDS came an alarming rise in the number of orphans worldwide though the most alarming figures are found in the developing world.