First school for transgenders starts classes in Pak

Pakistan's first of its kind school for transgenders opened here today to provide education and vocational skills to people from the community.

The Gender Guardian school has been opened by NGO Exploring Future Foundation (EFF) in the Defence Housing Authority area of the city. The NGO said Lahore -- Pakistan's second-most populous city -- has a population of about 30,000 transgender persons.

Classes commenced in the school, which offers a full 12 years of academic education from the primary level to matriculation and then leading up to college, its officials said.

The school also has training-based courses in eight fields, including cooking, fashion designing and cosmetics, on offer.

"This school has been set up to educate the neglected and oppressed section of the society. It is unfortunate that transgenders are forced to live in isolation since their childhood," says EFF's Asif Shahzad, the owner of the school.