Kerala school introduces gender-neutral uniform | Fusion - WeRIndia

To promote gender equality and break gender barriers, a government lower primary school in Kerala introduced gender-neutral uniforms to all its students. Valayanchirangara government primary school in Ernakulam district has around 754 students.

The school introduced a gender-neutral uniform – 3/4th trousers and shirts in 2018. Initially, the new dress code was introduced for the pre-primary section that had around 200 students. As many parents appreciated the decision, the school decided to implement it for the remaining classes also. Hence, now it has been extended to all students.

C Raji, the former Headmistress, implemented the decision of changing the dress code in 2018.  She said that the new uniform was introduced after observing the discomfort faced by the girls with their skirts. Before introducing the new uniform, the school management also discussed it with parents. Over 90 per cent of parents supported the decision of the school.

Vivek V, the current president of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), said that the new dress code was introduced to make all children happy and enjoy equal freedom.

Now girl students feel more comfortable and are taking part in all extracurricular activities confidently.

Many people appreciated the move of the school to promote gender equality. General Education Minister V Sivankutty lauded it. He said that rather than textbook lessons, real-time initiatives could bring more change. He also added that it is the right time to think about continuing separate schools for boys and girls. The state government supports such moves that promote gender equality, like the implementation of unisex uniforms.

The school took the help of a Kochi-based designer Vidya Mukundan for selecting the design of the uniform. The school has a good reputation. Hence, the number of students enrolling in it has been increasing for the last five years.

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