THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Raveena still recalls how she was taunted during school days by her classmates. There was also a code name by which the students used to addresse her. The abuses started when in Class VIII when her true identity of a transgender was revealed. In turn, her education suffered and she failed Class X. Now at 65, Raveena proudly proclaims that she has passed Class X and shares her dream of continuing her education.
"Learning has no age limit. I may be unable to get a government job with my educational qualification. But I am learning for myself. Initially, I thought it would be difficult. But with the help of teachers and other students, I'm happy now," she says.
She was one among the 21 victorious students belonging to the transgender community who successfully passed the Class X equivalency course in the pilot project pioneered by Kerala State Literacy Mission (KSLM). The Samanwaya continuing education programme of the KSLM has been successful in bringing individuals belonging to the transgender community to the fold of education. The project offers classes from basic literacy course to Class XII equivalency course.
"The response has been positive from the community. In some districts, there are no separate classes for transgenders and they study with the other students. We have observed that a difference in the attitude of other learners has been created and they are accepting to those from the transgender community. This has initiated a change in the way society perceives them. We had also provided training for the teachers ahead of classes on how to manage learners. The programme is bringing in a welcome change," said PS Sreelatha, director, KSLM.
The learners who successfully aced the Class X equivalency course were felicitated in the city. Some transgenders narrated experiences of how they had to drop out of schools because of their identity. Sakeena Nisamudeen says the classes offer a platform for the members of the community to continue their education and earn a respectable position in the society, a dream which they considered unattainable.
"I was taunted a lot at school and so I dropped out in Class IX. Now at 38, I am getting another opportunity to learn and achieve my goals," says Sakeena who is now studying in Class XI and sells fish for a livelihood.
As many as 918 members of the transgender community have expressed their interest in joining the literacy programme. Syama S Prabha, state coordinator of transgender cell and also a Malayalam teacher at the programme, says that the literacy programme offers a renewed hope for the community. "A survey has proven that 60 per cent of the transgender community drop out of school in Class IX," she says.