Kerala, India sets new standard with gender-neutral education for pupils

When schools in Kerala, India, reopened on June 3 after a long summer break, students entered classrooms with the usual excitement, but this year they encountered a surprising and groundbreaking change. The textbooks they received were unlike any they had seen before — filled with gender-neutral images and instructions.

This initiative, driven by the state’s commitment to fostering equality from a young age, aimed to break down traditional gender roles and promote inclusivity. Students found pictures depicting boys and girls engaging in various activities without gender-specific expectations.

One of the images showed a father grating coconut in the kitchen while his wife cooked food, and another depicted a father preparing a meal for his daughter.

In an unprecedented move, some schools in Kerala have extended gender neutrality beyond textbooks by introducing gender-neutral uniforms. This change marks a significant departure from the traditional Indian school uniform, where boys typically wear shirts and pants, and girls don skirts, often in different colours. Many schools in Kerala have now implemented the same uniform for all students, including shirts and knee-length pants.

To date, more than 12 schools in Kerala have adopted gender-neutral uniforms, according to ‘Washington Blade’. While the state has a total of 4,504 government-run schools, the Kerala Child Rights Commission decided last year to eliminate the use of terms like “sir” and “madam” for teachers, encouraging the use of universal terms like “teacher” instead. However, the Department of General Education, a state government body overseeing education in schools, refrained from enforcing these changes.

In 2023, the National Council of Education Research and Training, an autonomous body under India’s Education Ministry, introduced a manual directing schools to implement trans-inclusive curricula, provide safe washrooms, and adopt gender-neutral dress codes to prevent gender-based discrimination and violence.

Image Credit: Canva

In 2022, Aditya Birla World Academy, a private international school based in Mumbai, adopted gender-neutral uniforms and language in its 138 branches across the country. The school replaced gender-specific terms such as “ladies” and “gentlemen” with inclusive phrases like “dear guests” or “hello everyone.” An email sent to parents explained how to reduce gender differentiation in uniforms, allowing students of various genders and those questioning their gender to feel safe expressing themselves.

The Aditya Birla World Academy has also established the Rainbow Club, an LGBTQ+ support group led by students and guided by teachers, to foster activism in the classroom. They have allowed students to choose the length of their hair, as long as it is neatly tied, among other initiatives like workshops with teachers and parents under the campaign to “move away from the cis heteronormative environment in the education world.”

Speaking to the Washington Blade, equal rights activist Harish Iyer emphasised that children should be allowed to dress as they wish. He noted that the purpose of school uniforms is to promote inclusivity, regardless of a student’s social background.

“Adding gender-neutrality to uniforms only enhances the whole purpose of the uniforms,” said Iyer. “This initiative should be appreciated as there is no reason for debate. The real issue is that some students are forced to wear clothes that do not align with their gender identity.”

Iyer also stated that clothes should not be assigned a gender and that uniforms should be based on comfort, not gender.

Indrani Chakraborty, a mother of a trans child and an LGBTQ+ activist based in northeast India, praised the Kerala government’s decision to implement gender-neutral uniforms. She said her organisation, Annajoree, is working to raise awareness on the same issue in Assam state.

“We are promoting safe spaces in schools in Assam so that kids can complete their basic education without any mental harassment,” said Chakraborty. “Kerala is doing great work; it’s a fantastic initiative and should be supported by everyone. This practice should be adopted nationwide.”

Chakraborty highlighted the issue of bullying in schools not sensitised to LGBTQ+ issues. She noted that students, particularly those who are transgender, often face bullying and are not allowed to wear their preferred uniforms or access gender-neutral bathrooms.

She has started an initiative called the “No More Holding Pee Initiative” in schools to address these issues.

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