Last year that is in 2015 Kerala wrote history with the transgender policy, being the first state in the country to bring out any policy directed towards making the play field equal for transgenders and stopping the stigma imposed on group.
The ‘State Policy for Transgenders in Kerala 2015’ covered all types of transgenders and basically was instilled to provide protection to this community along with making sure that their rights and freedom were protected.
Now in another progressive move, Kerala is soon going to be opening the door’s of India’s first transgender school.
The announcement of this school was made on December 15th and the school will officially by inaugurated on 30th December by Kalki Subramaniam a transgender rights activist.
For now, the school will only have 10 students who will be studying under the National Open School system.
The reason behind this school has been very well said by Vijayaraja who said in an interview that, “ “Even though organisations like Kochi Metro are coming forward to provide job opportunities for transgenders, the lack of qualifications is seen as a challenge among transgenders.”
A Transgender School, Can We Say Finally?!
While I am still waiting for the govt. to overturn Section 377 and pull their heads out of their bums, finally and forever decriminalizing homosexuality, this news does make me extremely happy.
The transgender community has had a long and rich (if I must say) history in India, with them playing important roles in our mythology, later time courts of famous kings and many other places.
However even so, they are one of the most discriminated and poorly treated community in the country, and a school especially for them and to ensure that they get good and basic education is wonderful to see.
A lot of the schools in our country do not accept only transgender people, because of societal backlash and whatnot. Because of which, transgenders are not able to have the necessary qualifications that can get them a good job. This all leads them to having to earn through wrong and frankly humiliating ways.
However, Not The First Time Transgenders Have Entered Education Sector
As much as this news brings me joy, I have to point out that this is not the first time the transgender community is entering the education sector.
May I point out that just last year, we had our first transgender college principle in the form of Manobi Bandyopadhyay, who became the principle of a woman’s college in Bengal.
It is soothing to see that in the past couple of years, India has been moving towards a slightly more accommodating country for this minority group, even though we still have a long way to from here.
Signing off I would like to say that, while this school is for sure a great leap towards the raising of the transgender community in the country, it would be good to see such reforms coming into the minds of the people of the country too.
Image Credits: Google Images
Other Recommendations:
http://edtimes.in/2016/08/transgender-welfare-bill/
http://edtimes.in/2016/11/inspite-of-these-atrocities-pakistans-first-transgender-model-makes-her-debut/
