MULTAN: School Education Department South Punjab and UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve the quality of education accessible to the transgender community in Punjab.
The MoU is aimed at improving access to education facilities for transgenders with the help of the art laboratories being constructed by the SED in Bahawalpur and Multan and schools for them.
Youssef Fillali Mikanessi, UNESCO Country Director, and Rana Saleem Ahmad Khan, Secretary SED South Punjab, inked an MoU at Education Secretariat.
On this occasion, Additional Secretary Schools Agha Zaheer Abbas Shirazi, Deputy Secretaries, Hina Chaudhary, Saifullah Khan, Administrative and Fiance Officer Daon Thi Dung, and Communication Officer Anum Mansoori from UNESCO witnessed the signing ceremony.
The UNESCO delegation was briefed about SED initiatives on the Transgender project in Bahawalpur and Multan and the problems being faced by the Department besides other activities in the fields of education and development.
Rana Saleem Ahmed Khan, Secretary of School Education South Punjab, said that the SED would ensure the right of easy access to quality education for transgender persons with UNESCO support.
The Secretary while informing the delegation said that the transgender community’s members were among the backward sections of society and unfortunately the doors of formal education have always been shut to them.
Trans Education Project
He said that the Trans Education Project has been started to educate the transgender community and under the Accelerate Learning Program, the students of this school are provided with free education and are taught necessary lifestyle skills along with reading, writing, and basic numeracy.
He added that state-of-the-art laboratories would help impart new skills to the trans community.
