LAHORE: The Punjab School Education Department (SED) on Tuesday announced launching a transgender school in the Barkat Market of the provincial capital.

The department has decided to turn the Government Girls High School, Barkat Market, into a transpersons school. It will be the first school for the marginalised community in the city.

The first separate public school for the transgender community was opened in Multan in July last year.

The District Education Authority (DAE) has started work on turning the girls school into a transgender persons’ school. The school staff will be appointed under the rationalisation policy or measures will be taken to recruit new staff.

Punjab School Minister Education Murad Raas, addressing a ceremony, said the first transgender school in the province was opened in Multan and another would be opened in Lahore soon. He said most of the work on the separate school for transgender community in Lahore had been completed.

He said schools for transgender community would be opened in all districts of the province. He said that members of the transgender community were being admitted to separate schools because of some reservations about the behaviour of other students.

SED spokesperson Omer Khayam said the department would soon start classes in the school.

PBTE: The Punjab Board of Technical Education and Tang Corporation for International Education and Technology launched a joint education programme for assessment and certification of the DAE-Dual Diploma.

Under the programme, the select students shall get education and training for the first two years in the Tevta institutions. Third year training and assessment shall be done in the institutions in China with the support of the Tang Corporation.

Two advanced courses such as the Diploma in Software Engineering and Advanced Construction Technology Specialisation in Road and Bridge Technology have been finalised at the start.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2022