The Ministry of Education and Training is drafting a national plan that aims to integrate the topic of HIV/AIDS prevention across several school subjects between 2011-15.

The country\'s 22 million students at all educational levels played an important role in spreading the message about HIV/AIDS prevention, said Ngu Duy Anh, head of the Department of Student Affairs under the ministry.

Under the draft plan, HIV/AIDS prevention would be integrated into subjects such as Biology and Civic Education in all schools across the country while additional resources would be put into training teachers, principals and staff at community centres and educational training centres for drug addicts.

Le Loi High School in Dong Ha town, central Quang Tri Province was one of hundreds of schools across the nation that was chosen to pilot the draft plan. Since 2008, students here have been learning about HIV/AIDS prevention through different social science classes and fun activities.

Principal Nguyen Dang Hau said the school had incorporated HIV/AIDS prevention into subjects such as Literature, Geography, Civic Education and Biology. The topic was also discussed in study hall sessions and student club activities and an entire section of the library has been designated as a display area for information about HIV/AIDS prevention.

A competition was recently held to encourage students from 16 middle and high schools in northerneast Quang Ninh and Quang Tri provinces to come up with creative ideas that can be used to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention.

Anh said the ministry would continue to make teaching about HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health and gender education as top priorities in the national education development strategy for 2011-20.

Tran Quang Quy, deputy minister of education and training, emphasised that the sector would focus on eight HIV/AIDS prevention activities during 2011-15 period, including diversifying how the message about HIV/AIDS prevention can be delivered to youngsters, increasing the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention teaching inside and outside classrooms, and preventing discrimination of HIV positive children and students.