Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has unveiled plans to establish schools specifically catering to transgender children at the divisional level throughout the province.
During a meeting held in Lahore today to assess school education reforms, she also instructed the creation of a Standardized Matriculation Exam Board and Punjab School Inspectorate.
During the meeting, she extensively examined the proposal to consolidate all school education matters under a unified governing body.
The proposed authority will oversee various aspects of Punjab’s education system, encompassing teacher and curriculum development, school enhancement, teacher training, curriculum design, testing and evaluation, and ensuring educational achievements.
She stressed the significance of character development programs in government schools. Additionally, CM Punjab underscored the necessity of providing special education facilities in one government school within each district.
Alisha Sherazi, a transgender individual and former consultant of UNDP who holds an MPhil in Education, Planning, and Management from Burhanuddin Zakariya University, explained that three schools in D.G. Khan, Multan, and Bahawalpur were providing vocational training to members of the transgender community. These schools have established four labs for IT, stitching, cooking, and makeup classes, while other schools focus on academic education, according to the principal.
Alisha added that the government does not have exact figures regarding the transgender community’s population in Punjab.
During the meeting, CM Maryam Nawaz directed relevant officials to implement a new comprehensive procedure, aligning with international best practices, for the selection of CEOs, DEOs, and DDEOs in each district.
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During the meeting, Maryam Nawaz expressed her dissatisfaction with the delay in delivering books to schools. Educational authorities reported that 41% of textbooks have been supplied, reassuring her that the remaining books would be delivered by May.
Furthermore, they assured that textbooks for the next academic year would be provided by February.