Pakistan’s first-ever transgender school opens

LAHORE: Pakistan’s first ever transgender school established to provide education and vocational training to Pakistan’s transgender community has opened yesterday in Lahore.

Offering full 12 years of academic education from primary to matriculation this institute is named “The Gender Guardian”. It will later expand to college-level education as well.

The school for the transgender community was launched at an event at the Alhamra Open Air Theatre, Gaddafi Stadium. The school has no age limit and is located on main DHA, while classes at the institution will begin today (April 16).

According to Asif Shahzad, the owner of the school, there are currently 30 people enrolled in the school.

“I was moved after seeing the bomb blast in Indonesia in 2016 at a transgender school,” he said. “It was the only such school in any Islamic country in the world. After that we decided to provide them education and bring them to the mainstream.”

The school owner said the organization was trying to convince them [transgender persons] of leading better lives, and also try to tell the rest of society that they are also human beings, and that they should be treated as humans.

The event was supported by transgender activists Zara Changezi, Khursand Bayar Ali, Neeli Rana and others from Khwaja Sirah Society, and recently the first transgender newscaster Maavia Malik. Leaders, patrons and others from the community were also present at the event.

The school will also cater technical education classes such as fashion designing, grooming courses (beautician and hair styling), graphic designing, mobile and computer repair and the likes.