ISLAMABAD: Though Allama Iqbal Open University’s (AIOU) offer of providing free education to transgenders from the matriculation to PhD level has managed to convince the public, but experts belonging to the education profession has called it a mere illusion, since the deprived segment of society is yet to be introduced to the primary education level for broad-based development.
University of Peshawar Department of Sociology professor Dr Tahir Khan said that, “The majority of transgenders do not even reach the matriculation level because they are not entertained as normal human beings by primary schools, and this discrimination leads to almost zero enrollments by transgenders in educational institutions.”
Regretting the society’s traditional approach towards transgenders, the professor said that the initial 14 years were vital for learning and getting an education, while adding that laxity on part of the officials concerned had forced transgenders to opt for unpleasant professions, for which they are later demonised by the entire society.
Speaking in favour of the greater social interest, Dr Tahir also suggested establishing independent institutions for transgenders to ensure that they were groomed in a healthy environment to be become a productive part of society.
Qamar Waseem, representing non-governmental organisation Blue Veins, said that his organisation was working on issues related to transgender rights. He said that transgenders were in such a vulnerable position that they were being pushed by criminals to indulge in immoral trades, including dancing, drug dealing and prostitution, since they were never trained to earn their living in dignified ways.
A transgender belonging to Rawalpindi, named Shazia, said that, “Even the house where we take birth is reluctant to own us. We are considered disgraced creatures in this society and we are punished for being something that we did not choose to become.” The society held to the belief that we were born like this on our own will and deserve to be treated as aliens, Shazia added.
When contacted in connection with transgender education, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Schools director said that not even a single case of a transgender applying for admission at the institution was noticed or documented during recent admissions. However, he offered his institution’s help to educate transgenders during evening classes, saying that the transgender community had to take this decision for themselves.
Later, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl member and ex-senator Rahat Hussain stressed that sonly serious legislation would ensure that this neglected class was brought into the mainstream society.
