A discussion is presented on the problems and conflicts that arise over the question of admitting children with Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV) to the school classroom. Legal, educational, and ethical questions are involved, including the applicability of federal statutes regarding the handicapped, the right to confidentiality, public safety, and health education. These issues are addressed through an examination of the literature on education, bioethics, and law. While common law guarantees the right to an education, the state may impose certain restrictions to protect public health. However, federal statutes regarding the handicapped provide HIV-infected children with access to regular classrooms, and privacy and confidentiality are safeguarded by federal statute. Drawing from commentary from 1981 to the persent, a sound structural basis for curriculum development for education on HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is considered. This includes suggestions for content, program evaluation and an ethical framework for balancing parental rights with public health rights. (JD)