HIV+ students in Belgaum school boycotted by classmates

Apparently, over 20 HIV-positive children studying in the government school have been boycotted by their normal peers.

Parents, after finding out about HIV children studying with their children, started demanding that school authorities make alternate arrangements for the education of infected children.

Reportedly, parents are worried that their wards will contract the deadly disease from HIV-positive children studying in the school.

Parents have declared that they will not be sending their children to the school until authorities address their grievances.

School as ignorant as parents
Unfortunately, not just the parents of their fellow students are punishing HIV+ students for their health status, it looks like even school authorities are as ignorant as parents.

Both School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) and the School Betterment Committee seem to be on parents’ side and announced via a statement that they agree with normal students’ parents on this issue.

“I am not against HIV positive students but the disease (sic) may spread to the others in the school,” said Sunanda Kumbargoudar, president of the School Betterment Committee.

However, when school’s headmaster was contacted and asked if he will be making separate arrangements for the education of HIV infected students studying in his school, he made it clear that making separate arrangements for HIV-infected students will be discriminatory and against rules.

The whole incident disappointing
These students, who have been discriminated against due to their HIV status, are being raised and taken care of by an organization called Spandana for HIV people.

Most of these children are either orphans or have been abandoned after they were found to be infected with HIV.

The president of Spandana, Mahantesh Mali, in an interview said that he’s disappointed with school authorities’ attitude.

Mali also revealed that there are at least 34 HIV-positive children studying in different schools, and till date no one has objected.

“Nobody knows who has HIV in many other schools. It is unfair to treat these infected children in this manner. We should not only allow them to play with normal kids, but we also take care of them better,” said Mali.

Medical experts, too, tried to address the parents’ worries by trying to educate them on how HIV spreads; however, parents still stand by their ultimatum.