This paper presents an authoritative overview of the relationship between HIV/AIDS and the education sector. Set against the backcloth of international commitments, actions and targets, it looks at what is known about the impact of HIV/AIDS on education. It examines the use of educational settings to promote understanding, attitudes and behaviours to limit the risk of infection. It also examines the use of education to promote respect, care and support for those infected and affected by the epidemic. It sets forth the policy questions that must be addressed in order to respond to new and rapidly-emerging needs. And, while recognizing a very wide diversity of situations, it outlines the priorities that every policy-maker will have to face in formulating concrete actions for success. A significant number of the major international organizations working in the area of education and HIV/AIDS have endorsed this policy framework. This bears witness to the urgency of the problem and the clear consensus about what needs to be done. It also demonstrates the deep commitment of the international education community to developing approaches that are effective, achievable and complementary to broader educational goals contributing to human development.