Kerala Literacy Mission to launch education programmes for transgender students

Kerala Literacy Mission has launched a new literacy programme with monthly scholarships and shelter homes for transgender students. 

The programme is an extension of Kerala State Literacy Mission's (KSLM) Samanwaya, which provides free and continuing education for minority genders in the state. KSLM is also set to open four district level shelter homes in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. 

Minister of Social Welfare KK Shailaja will inaugurate the first phase of this state-level scholarship on June 28 in an event at Thaikkad in Thiruvananthapuram. 

The programme which is reportedly the first-ever comprehensive literacy programme for transgender persons is based on KSLM's survey in 2016 called 'Survey 918' which exposed a low literacy rate and high learning curve among members of the community. 

At present, 148 transgenders are enrolled in the programme which was begun in 2016. 

Kollam currently has the highest number of students enrolled for Samanwaya, which is 20 students for the Grade 10 equivalency course and ten students for a higher secondary equivalency programme. Thiruvananthapuram has over 20 students, Pathanamthitta has 25 and Alappuzha has ten enrollees. 

• Transgender-students
• scholarship
• shelter-homes
• Kerala-Literacy-Mission.