Kochi: When it comes to government efforts to ensure gender justice, problems that arise in the minds are mostly related to preventing crime or establishing gender neutral toilets.
Kerala, however, has taken steps a step further and believed in a holistic approach to encourage gender neutrality in the state.
And it wants to involve important parts of the most important population – children.
So, while part of the country goes up the arms of the teacher training manual intended to make the nation’s school more sensitive and inclusive all sex, the left government in the southern state has announced that it will support the uniform neutral idea in school – a concept which may be unthinkable for students and academics now.
Valayanchirangara Government Lower School, near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam Regency, which has a power of 754 students has taken the first step towards gender neutrality and introduces new uniforms for their students – shorts and 3/4 shirts, apart from gender.
The new dress code is planned in 2018 and is introduced in the lower part of this school and academic year, when schools are reopened after the induced pandemic kuncian, has been extended to all students.
The Minister of Public Education V Sivankutty said it was an amazing step and the government would promote such gender inclusive activities.