LAHORE– The Government College University (GCU) Lahore has allocated special seats to transgenders for admissions to its undergraduate programs to increase the access of this underprivileged community to the higher education.
GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi said that universities are a catalyst for change and GCU need to bring a change in our society where transgenders are accepted as lawyers, doctors, engineers, bureaucrats and politicians.
“We need to educate and reform our society to a level where parents accept and love their transgender children and brought them up with similar effort and attention which they give to their sons and daughters,” he added.
Prof. Zaidi believed increase in the access of higher education to transgenders was a prerequisite for this change. He stressed that special seats are also needed in schools and other higher education institutions for this underprivileged community.
He expressed gratitude to the university’s Chancellor and Academic Council members for supporting this decision of allocating special seats to transgenders.
The Vice Chancellor clarified that the transgenders were also welcome to compete for admissions on open merit but those who have less marks in examinations could secure admission against these special seats.
Prof. Zaidi said that GCU already had special seats for other underprivileged communities including the disabled, minorities and students from Baluchistan, but this was the first time special seats for transgenders were created.— PRESS RELEASE
