Evening schools to educate transwomen

MULTAN:

The Education Department of South Punjab has planned to launch a pilot project under which transgender persons will be taught for a couple of hours in the evening to help them acquire meaningful and progressive roles in the society.

The secretary of education, Ehtisham Anwar, expressed these views during a meeting of the education department officials at his office.

He informed the meeting that the topic of gender studies would be added in Pakistan Studies curricula from classes four to eight for which all stakeholders of the Single National Curriculum (SNC) will be written letters.

Ehtisham also constituted a task force comprising DPI (elementary) Tahira Perveen, Deputy Secretary (secondary) Khawaja Mazarul Haq, CEO of District Education Authority Shamshar Khan, SO Hina Chaudhary and Pakistan's first transgender person who received MPhil degree Ayesha.

“The task force has been formulated to coordinate with NGOs working for third gender community, suggest syllabi, location of schools and timings as well as check on availability of Waseela and Health cards,” the secretary said.

He added that unfortunately transgender persons discontinue education owing to societal bias and other related hardships.

The meeting was attended by Addl Secretary (Admin) Atta ul-Haq, and DHA CEO Shamsher Khan among others.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^h, 2021.