RAWALPINDI: From 12pm to 2pm, more than 41 transgender persons gather at Government Islamia Higher Secondary School No. 1 in a non-formal setting to become educated members of the community. These people are taught by their community members, and some of them come from the outskirts of Islamabad to teach them.

The non-formal education initiative is a project of the Punjab caretaker government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and it aims to bring transgender persons into the mainstream, said District Education Authority (DEA) Chief Executive Officer Yaseen Khan Baloch.

As a part of this project, a stipend of Rs10,000 is given to students while teachers receive about Rs30,000 every month from the provincial education department. This stipend is only given when their attendance is above 70pc.

‘Non-formal’ school has 41 students, pays Rs10,000 to each student

“This project will help them read and write and express themselves in Urdu and English,” Mr Baloch said, adding that there were quality checks in place to monitor the quality of education. He said the idea behind hiring transgender persons as teachers was that these instructors came from the same community and would be able to understand the students better. He said that English, Urdu and Mathematics subjects were being taught to these students. “Initially, there were 52 students in the class but the number was reduced to 41 students. We, however, have asked them to convince more people to come to this school for education,” he said.

“The classes started in September last year. 52 students enrolled; 41 are still studying with the support of the district administration, Pro-Gender Support Foundation Chairperson Saba Gul and Leher Mirza from Punjab Police,” he said. Initially, the project was for three months but its period was extended twice.

“The teachers were given training in Lahore,” he said.

According to Government Islamia Higher Secondary School No.1 Principal Izharul Haq, the stipend was being given to the students as they mostly came from remote parts of the city and some of them came from Islamabad. He said that Holy Quran classes were also started. He said that through this initiative, the government wanted to bring change in society and help mainstream the community members.

Transgender person Marry Nadeem Khan, who teaches at this school, said the trans community is not treated well in society. She said that she was trying to convince more people to join this school.

“These people are poor and in need of help…some are suffering from ailments and they require help to get education and get medical treatment,” she said. Munir Hussain, another teacher, said, “I come from Bari Imam to this school, and the stipend I receive barely covers the commute cost for a month.”

Shakeel Sadiq, a resident of Shah Khalid Colony, said that she has to switch two vehicles to reach the school near Liaquat Bagh. They said that the training for skills and education could make transgender persons become productive citizens who could also play a role in the development of the country.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2024