Every year in September, students from all over the nation are eager to go to school. Yet for many HIV positive children and their parents, it is extremely difficult to claim the right to attend school.

   Socially ostracized HIV infected children who live in the Hope-Orphanage in Hanoi can never forget the humiliation on their first day of school.

   That day, they were very happy and excited to attend Yen Bai B Grade School near the Hope-Orphanage. But they were expelled from the school on their very first day. The reason was that many parents objected to allowing the orphaned children to study in the same classroom together with their own children.

   To mention a similar incident at an Nhon Don grade school in Cu Chi County, Ho Chi Minh City, hundreds of parents protested when they knew that their children would study together with HIV- positive children.

   They were not sympathetic to even listen to the HIV infected children who said: "Please, we know we will die soon, would you please let us go to school at least once? We promise we will not let our disease spread to other children".

   A woman whose HIV-infected children are in the 3rd grade of a school in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi said: “I think the impact of HIV on the children’s health is not as terrible as the isolation and discrimination they face every day and its negative influences on their spirit. 

   On the day when her child was old enough to begin studying, she took him to the Khuong Dinh primary school. Although she never told anybody about her child's illness, the parents of other students learned about it. They rushed to the principal's office and objected very strongly.

   Because of her love for her innocent child, she asked for help at a Center for HIV-infected people in Hanoi. Fortunately, after intervention and some education, the parents of the healthy children were willing to step out of ignorance and welcome the HIV-infected students. All the children could continue to attend the school.

   Two of the provinces that have a high number of HIV-positive children and adults in Vietnam are Quang Ninh and An Giang. According to the last survey at Ha Long City in Quang Ninh province, the rate of school drop outs among HIV-infected children was up to 13%, and those who never can return to school was up to 7%. In An Giang, the total rate for these two categories was up to 39%.

   When asked why they stopped going to school, most of the HIV-infected children answered that they couldn't bear the discrimination and isolation by their classmates.

   The main reason their classmates mistreat them is that their parents had forbidden them to have contact with the HIV-infected children.

   Although there are laws and regulations against discrimination of HIV-infected people in Vietnam, the efforts to overcome ignorance and fear and to help HIV-infected children with their integration into the greater community is still a facing many difficulties.