The Sindh education department has decided to introduce the first-ever ‘transgender education policy’ in the province to facilitate the transgender community in achieving their academic goals.
The announcement came after Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah held a three-hour-long meeting with the leaders of the transgender community.
A chance will be given to transgender people who have not yet finished their education to go on with their education. In addition, the transgender community will also get a chance to get recruited as teachers.
Providing content about the community in the curriculum will be part of the policy so that the new generation will understand the transgender community. “It will help students to respect and provide a space to these people,” said the minister.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shah said that there is no transgender policy anywhere in Pakistan. Through the informal education system, a transgender person will be able to complete primary education within two years instead of going through five years of schooling, he added.
“Those who did not get the opportunity to get an education will have the option to get their education now,” Shah said. He said that the provincial government will help this community in the education sector so they could play their due role in society.
A major milestone
After the meeting, Gender Interactive Alliance’s Bindya Rana informed The Express Tribune that the number of registered transgender persons in Karachi was above 18,000. “Roughly, there are about 40,000 transgender people in Sindh,” Rana added.
Rana also stated that the meeting with the education minister marked a major milestone towards initiating the main objectives for the community’s welfare. “Most of our people cannot continue their education after matriculation,” Rana said, adding that the majority of the community members wanted to get an education.
“But it is not possible for them to continue it because of financial reasons and social taboos,” Shah said that meetings will soon be conducted to discuss transgender education policy. “I hope we will have it by next education year,” he said. Partab Shivani, the head of Thar Education Alliance, commented that the mindset regarding transgender people should be changed.
It may also be recalled that last year in July, the provincial government opened up the “first-ever transgender school in Pakistan” in the city of Multan. After all the struggles, the transgender community in Pakistan is getting the recognition it deserves!
What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments section below.
