Kinnar Vidyalaya: New School Opens For Transgender Students In Vasai

In a progressive step towards the upliftment of the transgender community in society, a new school Kinnar Vidyalaya has been opened by the Shri Mahashakti Charitable Trust in Vasai.

The school in Vasai East which had its inauguration ceremony on Friday will provide free-of-cost education to transgender children. As per reports, this will the first school solely dedicated to transgender students.

As per a report by Mid-Day, Lokahnwala's 47-year-old resident named Mehandi Ali is behind the initiative. She said that she got the support to open the school from Mahashakti Trust and government officials.

As the school is located in an area surrounded by slums, the chairperson of the trust, Rekha Tripathi reportedly said that apart from providing free education to transgender students, the trust will also work to encourage the children from underprivileged families to get admission in the Kinnar Vidyalaya.

Maharashtra: Shri Mahashakti Charitable Trust opens school for transgenders in Vasai; education will be provided free-of-cost

"25 transgender people & some children are currently studying here. Books to be given free & job opportunity will be given," says trust Chairman pic.twitter.com/UVAaWq39rB

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2021

Kinnar Vidyalaya: Free-of-cost education to transgender students

The school also has transgender teaching staff. A 26-year-old teacher named Paras Thakur is one of them. Thakur told Mid-day about how she could not go through higher education even after being a top-scoring student in school. She had to drop out of college as she wasn't allowed to use the men's toilet. "I even tried to conceal my identity, but people judge on the basis of your body language. I could not use the boys’ toilet during recess, " she said.

According to the trust's general secretary, Vishal Bhagat's statement, the school currently has two dozen children. He said, "At present, the school is open to students up to Standard V, but we plan to extend it till matriculation." The students will also get vocational training and skill development workshops in addition to education. The school will also focus on the craftwork of the pupils by holding exhibitions of their handmade items.

Feature Image credit: Mid-day