TRANS EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN
Transgender people live in every part of Pakistan and around the world. They are from different races, cultures, beliefs and religions. They can be your classmates, coworkers, neighbors or a friend. In Pakistan, there are no official digits and figures of transgender people by census, but the estimated range is of 15,000 to hundreds of thousands, and are many more worldwide.
WHAT DOES TRANSGENDER MEAN?
Transgender people are those whose sense of their gender is not the same as the gender given to them when they were born. The word “trans” is often used to refer to transgender individuals.
When we are born, a doctor usually tells us if we are male or female based on our bodies. Most people labeled male at birth identify as men, and most labeled female identify as women. However, some people feel differently about their gender than what was expected at birth. Many of these people call themselves transgender.
A transgender woman is a person who is seen as a woman now but was viewed as a boy at birth. A transgender man is recognized as a man now but was seen as a girl when he was born. Some transgender people do not see themselves only as male or female, or they feel like they are both. There are different words that used to describe their gender, such as non-binary or genderqueer.
TRANSGENDER PROTECTION OF RIGHT ACT IN PAKISTAN
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2018 in Pakistan gives legal rights and recognition to transgender people, such as:
They have the right of protection from discrimination and harassment, access to identification, access to public places, access to safe house and health care and specially access to the educational facilities for the welfare of the transgender community.
LITERACY RATE OF TRANSGENDERS IN PAKISTAN
Many transgender people in the country cannot read or write. A United Nations study found that only 30% finished primary school, 23% finished high school, and only 7% went to college.
EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS FOR TRANSGENDERS IN PAKISTAN
The first school for transgender people has opened in Lahore by the Punjab School Education Department. The school will offer regular classes and programs for learning skills.
Previously three such schools for transgender persons already exist in Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi khan and Lahore. It has been opened up in the separately building of Government Girls High School.
Two more new schools will be built in Raiwind and Wagah. The School Education Department (SED) will give free books, school supplies, and uniforms to transgender students in all three schools.
Each student will get a scholarship of Rs. 10,000. Rs. 5,000 is for books and supplies, and Rs. 5,000 is for travel. Students must have at least 80% attendance to receive this money.
TAHAFFUZ DARASGAH LAHORE
Tahaffuz Darsgah is a school for transgender children in Pakistan, started by Zahid Bhatti in 2024. It is located near Jallo Park in Lahore and is the first place that provides shelter and education just for transgender kids.
So far, 36 transgender people have joined the school. They will have classes in two parts: one for regular education and another for learning skills. The teachers will also be from the transgender community. This helps educated members of the community get jobs and improve their community.
The opening ceremony was attended by teachers, activists for trans rights, community members, and transgender people.
This school will create new learning opportunities for a group that is often ignored, and being the first in Lahore could be an important step in helping this community. Everyone at the opening ceremony shared this feeling.
TAHAFUZ TRAINING PROGRAMES
The three-level training program at Tahaffuz Darsgah helps students get the education and skills they need to succeed in regular jobs with a well-known education. In the first stage, they receive secondary education, including O- and A-levels, as well as Matric and Intermediate. Next, they get recognized vocational qualifications in popular fields. In the third stage, they can earn recognized degrees that will help them have a fair social status in their chosen industry.
LODGING FACILITIES
The services provided include not only education but also housing, food, clothing, fun activities, and sports. Additionally, a special team takes care of their health, mental well-being, personal development, and allows them to express themselves freely.
EXTRACURRICAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
After-school and fun activities are an important part of the training program. Students are encouraged to celebrate all festivals and participate in their favorite sports. The program believes that sticking to a boring routine can limit their thinking skills, which are important for their personal and career growth. Therefore, students are motivated to express themselves by choosing recreational activities that follow the rules and values
MULTAN TRANSGENDER SCHOOL
A historic Pilot project for the education of transgenders is one of the school in Multan.
OBLIGATION UNDER THE CONSTITUTION, LAW AND SDGs:
Section 25 A of the Constitution obligates the State to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years.
Section 8 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 requires that there shall be no discrimination against Transgender Persons in acquiring admission in any educational institutions.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the UN aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
PROJECT
- The Schooling Division, South Punjab, Administration of Punjab has chosen to take care of this up until recently significant yet overlooked issue. A pilot project, TRANSEDUCATION, is being sent off in Multan by which transsexuals would be given conventional training in night classes at state funded schools by depending on the Sped up Learning System to make up for the lost tutoring in the main stage, and to formal tutoring in the second. It could be underscored here that a definitive objective is the mainstreaming of the transsexuals; consequently whenever corrects are made for the lost classes, the transsexuals would be moved to ordinary and age-appropriates classes/schools.
- Understudies for Sped up Learning Project would be separated in 4 gatherings, for example essential, rudimentary, optional, and higher auxiliary. Contingent on the limit and execution of understudies, more than one classes would be shown in a given year. Furthermore, professional abilities would likewise be conferred to make them monetarily autonomous. Fitting, dress planning, make-up/salon administrations, cooking and such different occupations have been short recorded for the reason.
- The schedule for Sped up Learning Project has been settled in meeting with Japan Worldwide Participation Agency(JICA).
- Classes would be held at 4 pm and then some, for example well after the conclusion of normal morning school.
- Books, writing material things, uniform and shoes would be given liberated from cost. It very well might be featured here that an alternate/particular uniform has been intended for the transsexuals. Likewise, unigender shoes have been chosen as a feature of the uniform. Such is our consideration regarding the subtleties of the task.
- Free pick and drop administration is additionally being set up for additional assistance of the imminent understudies with the assistance of a custom curriculum Division, Legislature of Punjab.
- It is likewise being guaranteed that the informed people among the transsexuals are recognized/followed and utilized as personnel in these classes to set out procuring open doors for themselves and present them as good examples/guides to the transsexual understudies. Five such people have previously been chosen – one of them having a M. Phil degree though another is BS Brain research. It’s implied here that since these people comprehend the brain research of transsexuals better, their presence on staff would be a resource for the Division. Likewise, volunteer instructors from a similar school would likewise be showing the understudies as and when required.
- A 3-days studio (June 30-July 2, 2021) was held at the Schooling Division, South Punjab with the assistance of JICA to prepare the coaches as well as the previously mentioned showing staff in conveying Sped up Learning Project.
- The pilot task would be initiated in Multan on July 7, 2021.
After the fruitful send off and execution of the pilot project, the Schooling Division, South Punjab expects to repeat the task in rest of the South Punjab one month from now.
