The Punjab Education Department has reportedly shut down the FirstStep Khawaja Sara Palace Non-Formal High School in Faisalabad, the city’s only school dedicated to transgender students, leaving more than 50 students without access to education and teachers without their salaries.
According to a report aired by 24NewsHD, the school, located in Mohammadi Colony, Shah Faisalabad, was closed abruptly, triggering protests by transgender teachers and students outside the office of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Education Faisalabad.
During the protest, demonstrators demanded the immediate restoration of the school and the payment of unpaid salaries, warning that the closure has disrupted both education and livelihoods.
Established in 2023, the school served as a safe and inclusive learning space for transgender students and offered an alternative to exploitative activities such as begging.
In addition to academic education, the institution played an important role in community development by organizing Mehfil-e-Milad, Langar distributions, educational tours, free food camps, and observances of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It also worked in collaboration with civil society organizations, including the Sathi Foundation, to broaden its outreach.
Protesters have appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to intervene, reopen the school, and ensure the release of pending salaries, emphasizing the urgent need to protect education and dignity for Faisalabad’s transgender community.
