Teachers Perception on RTE Act and Inclusive Education of Transgenders

1. Dr. Kamaludheen K T
PDF Scholar, Department of Education, University of Kerala

2. On 1st of April, 2015,
India completed 5 years of enactment
of the RTE Act.

3. Different States
stand at
different levels
in the
implementation
of the Act.

4. There is a nationwide call for action to
ensure that the hopes of India’s millions
of children are not betrayed.

5. In this regard, Government of Kerala have
framed Right of Children to free and
Compulsory Education Rules 2011 in
accordance with the RTE Act.
(G.O. (P) No.100/2011/G. Edn Dated 30.4.2011)

6. Education Minister Mr. P. K. Abdul Rabb has
rightly announced that the school education
system is in a structural change on account of the
implementation of the RTE Act which will be
implemented in this academic year.

7. A written petition filed in the High Court of
Kerala on June 26th 2014, complaining that
the State government is not implementing
RTE Act in its letter and spirit.

8. The aim of universalization of education is still at
stake or still afar.
Zero drop out remains just a dream.

9. The success of right to education does
not depend either on the definition
of aims, statement of objectives, or
discussion of the values.

10. Mere framing of
the constitution
with grand ideals,
chains of acts and
rules do not
guarantee its
translation into
practice.

11. (RTE) Act, 2009 declared
Education as a Fundamental Right
and this birth right to education is
incorporated in our noble
constitution through the article 21A
by the Constitution
(86th Amendment) Act 2002,

12. and India became one of
the 135 countries
to make education
a fundamental right of
every child.

13. 1. Transgenders in India are the highly marginalized
and vulnerable population.
2. Transgenders lag behind on human development
indices mainly in the area of education.
3. Majority of transgenders is either not educated
or less educated.
Report of Expert Committee appointed by on 27th January
2014, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

14. 4. High dropout rate and low school years
among them are alarming.
5. Their drop out is not by choice but by
force.
6. Insensitive attitude of teachers has
adverse impact on the continuity of a
transgender in a school.
7. Fulfilment of obligation under RTE Act is
very crucial for the improvement in the
educational conditions of transgenders.

15. The SC asked the Centre and States
to treat transgender as socially and
economically backward classes of citizens
and extend all kinds of reservation
in educational institutions.

16. Judgement
provides opportunities
to revamp and restructure their
educational planning and management
as well as change their
classroom environment and practices to
differentiated learning processes
to education inclusive and
accommodative of
transgender learners.

17. It is believed that once transgenders are
included in education,
they can be included in all;
if they are excluded from education,
they will be excluded from everything.

18. In spite of all these,
transgenders remain
“pushed outs from our educational endeavours”
and “the smallest group having the largest risk”
in India.

19. The key to the development and success of an
educational policy of a nation as a whole is the

20. Unless teachers are aware of the constitutional values
and have a positive perception regarding a particular value,
they cannot transform themselves against the
expectations and aspirations of the nation.

21. to the destiny of India as envisioned
by and in the Constitution.
This poses a serious

22. The investigator thought
that it is the need of the
hour to find out how the
teachers perceive RTE Act;
and their Awareness on
Inclusive Education of
Transgenders.

23. 100 Teachers
Survey Method is used
Stratified Random Technique is used
Two tools constructed and used.
1. Teachers’ Perception Inventory on RTE Act
2. Questionnaire on Awareness of transgenders’
Inclusive Education

25. N Mean Median Mode SD Skewnes
s
100 65.67 65.67 65.67 11.44 -1.98
These values show that the
distribution is almost normal. This
status of teachers shows their
Perception towards RTE Act is Average.

26. SL No Dimensions Percentage
1 Transgender Existence in the classroom 10%
2 Transgender-friendly school climate 15%
3 Customized Pedagogy for Transgenders 5%
4 RTE Act Provisions for Inclusion of
Transgenders
12%
5 Inclusion of Transgenders based on Rights-
based Model of Education
40%
The table clearly shows that the Awareness of teachers
on Inclusive education is low. Although the 40% of the teachers
thinks that transgender inclusion is a Rights-based Model of
Education, Teachers awareness is not at satisfactory level.

27. Implication…….
1. Educational policies are not filtered down to
reach the teachers.
2. The educational system may have failed to
adequately support them with optimum
knowledge about RTE Act.
3. The curriculum of teacher training institutions
is not adequate to equip the teachers with
the importance of constitutional values.

28. Implication…….
4. No sufficient in-service program from the
part of the government and extension
services from the universities to update the
teachers with current policy, programs and
activities of the government.
5. The classrooms of Kerala are not ready to
receive the RTE.

29. 1. Thematic Training for Mobilization &
Awareness,
2. Autonomy of Teacher Education Institutions,
3. Public Private Partnership (PPPs)
4. Rejuvenation of Pre-Service Training
Programs,
5. Constitutional Values and Inclusive Education
as Compulsory Subject, Making In-service
Training Programs Alive,

30. 6. Targeting Local Needs,
7. Creating a Network of Key Training
Institutions and Developing a Network of Key
Teachers,
8. Participation of non-state players in
Educational Endeavours and
9. Setting-up of Full-pledged SCERT and DIET.

31. An eye-opener for both
educational stakeholders and all
citizens directly or indirectly
related to education to support
the Nation to achieve its noble
aim of education for all, as
education is the birth right of
all.

32. Educational Policy or Birth
Right would hold much
ground if one is forced to
surrender the most basic
human right- the right to
one’s own body.

33. REFERENCE
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321244767_TRANSGENDER_C
HILDREN'S_EDUCATION_AND_THEIR_REENGAGEMENT_IN_SOCIETY
• Tania Ferfolja & Jacqueline Ullman (2021) Inclusive pedagogies for
transgender and gender diverse children: parents’ perspectives on the
limits of discourses of bullying and risk in schools, Pedagogy, Culture &
Society, DOI: 10.1080/14681366.2021.1912158
• Ahmed, S. (2016). An affinity of hammers. Transgender Studies Quarterly:
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• Barnes, E., & Carlile, A. (2018). How to transform your school into an
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W. (2017). Transgender people in education. Palgrave
Macmillan. Beauchamp, T., & D’Harlingue, B. (2012). Beyond additions and
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