Pakistan's first-ever school for transgender community all set to welcome students

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After getting an anchor to become the country's first transgender news anchor, Pakistan is now all set to open doors to its first-ever school for the transgender community.

According to a report in Pakistan-based Dawn, the school will begin operations from April 15 and will help members of the transgender community play a larger role in the development of society and enter the mainstream. Named The Gender Guardian, the school will offer complete 12 years of education from primary to higher levels, and then even at a college level. In addition, it would also offer technical courses in fields such as hair styling, fashion designing, mobile repairing and graphic designing.

The first branch of the school will open in Lahore and 40 students have already registered. Founder Asif Shahzad has also confirmed that two more branches would be opened in the foreseeable future.

The scheduled opening of the school for the transgender community has largely received a positive response in an otherwise conservative Muslim country. There is, however, a general consensus that changing social attitudes towards the community is an uphill struggle and that it will take time and effort to raise awareness and bring all on a level playing field.