Resolving the problems will depend upon learning the medical facts about AIDS, developing effective strategies for educating students with AIDS and their classmates, and developing educational programs designed to reduce the transmission of the AIDS virus. Efforts by schools to address AIDS must also recognize that ever since children have been brought together for public education, the classroom has served as an arena for resolving larger issues. Parents and religious groups have strong feelings about what subjects may be taught in the classroom, and the basic conflict involves the rights of the individual and society and the responsibility of the school. School boards have had a difficult time deciding whether or not to admit a child with AIDS, because the disease is transmissible and thus far incurable. Most school boards have not taken any action until faced with a student or teacher with AIDS. Because the greatest hope for containing the AIDS epidemic lies in education regarding behaviors to prevent the spread of the virus, education through the schools and mass media portrayals of sexuality are both important. 36 references.