After the Centre recognised transgender as the official “third gender”, there have been several changes made in companies when it comes to their hiring policies and even universities in terms of admission. However, in a move that can prove as a significant change in the lifestyle of transgenders, the lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, on Thursday notified all schools in the Capital that transgender children must be included under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 or Right To Education Act (RTE), 2009.
This move comes as a landmark decision since one of the major contention after universities began enrolling transgender students was that education needed to be imparted to the community right from the primary level.
In August this year, Delhi University (DU) has included a separate column for the transgender in admission forms for postgraduate courses. While that was a welcome step towards positive change, several students and professors of the university felt that the transgenders should be given this opportunity first at the school and undergraduate level and then postgraduate. Students felt it would create awkwardness among most students as there is a stigma attached to transgenderism. With this move, a transgender child will have the same right to education as all other children in the country.
However, there is no separate clause being made for these students as they will now be included in the same category as those students from a disadvantaged background. The Directorate of Education (DoE) circulated the notice of the lieutenant Governor on Thursday asking all schools to apply the same while enrolling students. The notification stated that “in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (d) of section 2 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is pleased to notify the inclusion of a ‘transgender’ child within the meaning of ‘child belonging to disadvantaged group’ as defined in the said section of the RTE Act.”
This, as per Additional Director of Education Madhu Teotia’s undersign, is applicable to all schools situated within the NCT of Delhi.