The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, section 13 provides that every educational institution funded or recognized by the appropriate Government shall provide inclusive education and opportunities for sports, recreation and leisure activities to transgender persons without discrimination on an equal basis with others.

Department of School Education, MoE implements The National Education Policy(NEP), 2020 which envisages an inclusive and structural change in the educational system. It focuses on ‘Equitable and Inclusive Education’ which reverberates the idea that no child should be left behind in terms of educational opportunity because of their background and socio-cultural identities. NEP, 2020 identifies transgender children as Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) and provides for equitable quality education, inter-alia, for all such students. This includes provisions for assisting transgender children in gaining access to education, support for community-based interventions that address local context-specific barriers to transgender children’s access to and participation in education, thereby aiming to eliminate any remaining disparity in access to education for children from any gender or other SEDGs.

Under Samagra Shiksha, teacher and school heads are trained under NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement), a nation-wide integrated teacher training program. NISHTHA, inter-alia, covers relevance of Gender Dimensions in Teaching and Learning Process, which helps teachers to use and adopt learning activities that foster gender sensitive classroom environment. Further, teachers are also oriented on counseling, provisions of POCSO Act, Juvenile Justice Act, School Safety guidelines, helpline and emergency numbers, drop-box for complaints, etc.

In addition, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed material including training modules for the capacity building of teachers on the issues related to gender in education. NCERT has been training teachers, teacher educators and school heads on gender sensitization with an all-inclusive approach. The concerns related to transgender children are addressed in different textual and training materials/manuals/modules.

This information was given by Minister of State for Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Shri. A. Narayanaswamy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

 

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