Inclusive Education For Third Gender Persons In India

Vandita Morarka, Pragya Lodha
2017 Indian Journal of Mental Health(IJMH)  
The research study looks at evaluating perceptions and awareness of students of higher secondary or undergraduate educational level towards the Third Gender and assessing the educational provisions available to meet the third gender needs: varying across infrastructural provisions, educational content, support mechanisms, teaching delivery and language inclusivity. Methodology: The present primary research was carried out with 100 participants within the age range of 16-26 years through the
more » ... s of an online survey under convenient sampling method. The median age of respondents was found to be 21years. The surveyed population included youth from urban India, based in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Manipal and Indore. The survey comprised of 31 questions that were in the format of binary choice (Yes / No), 5-point rating scale (ranging from very poor to excellent) and open ended questions. Results: The findings of research highlight a strong lack of awareness amongst students regarding to needs and rights of third gender persons as well as a severe lack of educational provisions by institutions to meet Third Gender needs on all aspects covered. A resounding 100% said that they think that the education policy must address third gender issues of education access and learning processes. Eighty nine percentage (89%) of the respondents felt that the government was not doing enough to tackle the concerns of education of the third gender community in India. Conclusion: Further work and research is needed to improve and strengthen and improve the educational policy for third gender individuals. This must be taken at a local and central level alike.
doi:10.30877/ijmh.4.1.2017.83-88 fatcat:dwgc2zad4zenno5kn7uouzjiti