Pakistan set to open first school for transgender community in Lahore

[Shahzaz ud din]

Pakistan set to open first school for transgender community in Lahore

• ‘The Gender Guardian’ school offers a full 12 years of academic education from the primary level to matriculation, and then leading up to college
• A formal opening ceremony will take place at Gaddafi Stadium on April 15th

Pakistan
by Dawood Rehman | Published on April 7, 2018 (Edited April 7, 2018)

Facebook
Twitter
Reddit
LAHORE – Pakistan will inaugurate its first ever institute for educational and vocational training for the transgender community next Sunday.

Named ‘The Gender Guardian’, the school offers a full 12 years of academic education from the primary level to matriculation, and then leading up to college.

The school was founded by Asif Shahzad and the Exploring Future Foundation. Asif told Dawn that about 15 faculty members (including three from the transgender community) will serve at the school initially.

Moreover, two other branches of the same institution will be opened in Karachi and Islamabad.

Reports suggest a total of 40 students have already taken up admission in the school. The school offers 12 years of education starting from the primary level to matriculation and then intermediate.

The Gender Guardian school will also offer technical courses including Graphic designing, Computer and mobile repairing, Beautician, Fashion designing and Hairstyling courses among others.

The formal opening ceremony will be held at Alhamra Hall in the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on April 15.

 

[Lucky Breeze]

Why a separate school?

Enroll them in American school system or in beacon house.

 

[TheLahoriGuy]

Why a separate school?

Enroll them in American school system or in beacon house.

Because we must take small steps first. Not everyone is ready or accepting of transgenders as of yet. We need to have society be accepting of them first and only then will people allow them to be integrated completely.

 

[Divergent]

That’s good

 

[jetray]

nonsense, why differentiate among the kids and sow the seed of discord?
When kids dont know about others it will only widen the gap and create more fissures.
they vs us is not the right way of solving the problem, treating every one equally is the right way. Students gender should be no business of school.

 

[Zibago]

Well in Pakistan Trans are considered a thrid gender so that poster is wrong

nonsense, why differentiate among the kids and sow the seed of discord?
When kids dont know about others it will only widen the gap and create more fissures.
they vs us is not the right way of solving the problem, treating every one equally is the right way. Students gender should be no business of school.

Most schools in Pakistan are unigendered so it makes sense as they are considered a third gender

Because we must take small steps first. Not everyone is ready or accepting of transgenders as of yet. We need to have society be accepting of them first and only then will people allow them to be integrated completely.

They were accepted even at the time of mughals but had very restricted roles in society

 

[Imran Khan]

good step they deserve it

 

[Lucky Breeze]

nonsense, why differentiate among the kids and sow the seed of discord?
When kids dont know about others it will only widen the gap and create more fissures.
they vs us is not the right way of solving the problem, treating every one equally is the right way. Students gender should be no business of school.

Its because of he overall behavior of the society towards trans. Parents don't feel comfortable having their kids along trans. Plus these special kids will be a target of ridicule by others kids. That is the main reason these kids never go to school.

 

[TheLahoriGuy]

Well in Pakistan Trans are considered a thrid gender so that poster is wrong


Most schools in Pakistan are unigendered so it makes sense as they are considered a third gender


They were accepted even at the time of mughals but had very restricted roles in society

By accepted if you mean them being restricted to a life of dancing and prostitution then that's no acceptance at all. Accepting would be integrating as any other non-trans person.

 

[El Sidd]

Good job !!

 

[Shahzaz ud din]

Pakistan set to open two more transgender schools

• The Gender Guardian, the first school for transgender people in any Islamic state, will open its branches in Islamabad and Karachi

Pakistan
by Dawood Rehman | Published on April 22, 2018 (Edited April 22, 2018)

Facebook
Twitter
Reddit
LAHORE – Pakistan will soon extend the scope of education for transgender persons in two major cities after the success of the country’s first-ever school in Lahore.

The Gender Guardian, the first school for transgender persons in any Islamic state, was launched at an event at the Alhamra Open Air Theatre of the Gaddafi Stadium in the Punjab capital last week.

Now, with an aim to provide 12 years of academic education (from primary level to higher secondary level), two more schools for transgender community will be opened in Karachi and Islamabad soon.

View image on Twitter


Govt of Pakistan

✔@pid_gov
https://twitter.com/pid_gov/status/986982772039286794

A huge milestone has been achieved in granting transgender their rights in the country through Pakistan’s first ever transgender school.Named The Gender Guardian, the school offers a full 12 years of academic education from primary level to matriculation & leading up to college.

11:00 AM - Apr 19, 2018

• 
  53
• 
  20 people are talking about this

Twitter Ads info and privacy




Asif Shahzad, the founder of The Gender Guardian, says that school in Lahore having a faculty of 15 members, has started giving education to around 40 students of the transgender community.

The brainchild of non-governmental organisation Exploring Future Foundation (EFF), it also offers vocational training focusing on fashion, beauty as well as graphic design.

“We will be providing skill-based training and curriculum to the transgender community that has enrolled with us,” said EFF managing director Moizzah Tariq.


The plan is to provide a diploma course so that the students will be able to either work or set up their own businesses, and the NGO will facilitate them with both procedures.

There is no age limit for admission in The Gender Guardian, located in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

In an interview with Associated Press of Pakistan, Asif Shahzad said that most of the transgender-students had shown their interest in fashion industry including learning about cosmetics, fashion designing, embroidery and stitching while some had also shown interest in graphic designing and culinary skills.

“We designed our courses for them keeping in view of their interest”, he added.

“So far 40 transgender persons have been enrolled in the school. This is the only such school in any Islamic country in the world,” he claimed.

Transgender people face discrimination in Pakistan and many struggle to find employment. Some are forced into begging, dancing or prostitution to earn money.

Punjab province has 64.4 per cent of the country’s transgender population with 6,709 people registered in the category.

However, official sources from social welfare department said that Lahore and its adjoining areas had a population of roughly 30,000 transgender people.

The country’s Senate had unanimously approved a bill on March 7, 2018 for the protection of rights of transgender people, empowering them to determine their own gender identity.

 

[Zee-shaun]

So this must be the desi version of x-men evolution?

 

[Rusty]

Schools need to be desegregated and have all the kids mixed.
It's insane to me that you can raise half the population that doesn't get to interact with the other half, then we just expect them to one day magically know how to treat women when they grow older.

 

[Safriz]

Great Idea.
Back in the early 80s we had a Trans gender in our class full of boys and we had no idea whether to treat him as a boy or a girl as his behaviors swung wildly between the two genders