Samanwaya — Continuing Education Programme for Transgender Persons

What is the Samanwaya continuing education programme?

Samanwaya is a continuing education programme for transgender persons in Kerala, run by the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) together with the Department of Social Justice. Samanwaya gives transgender persons who left school early a way back into education through equivalency courses, which lead to a recognised certificate without requiring the learner to sit in a regular school classroom.

According to the Social Justice Department, the problem Samanwaya was created to address is the high rate of school and college dropouts in the transgender community, caused by social discrimination, financial constraints and lack of family support. The department's stated consequence is direct: such marginalised groups face severe unemployment because of the lack of proper education and the social stigma they meet.

Kerala was the first state in India to implement a Transgender Policy, and Samanwaya sits inside a much wider set of transgender welfare schemes the Social Justice Department runs, scholarships, skill development training, self-employment assistance, hostel and accommodation aid, a housing scheme, marriage assistance, and a 24x7 helpline.

What has Samanwaya achieved so far?

The Social Justice Department publishes concrete numbers for Samanwaya, which is unusual for a programme of this size and worth quoting exactly.

• KSLMA conducted a survey under the Samanwaya scheme.
• The survey identified 918 transgender persons who expressed willingness to register under the programme.
• Of these, 145 community members registered for Class 4, Class 7, Class 10 and higher secondary equivalent courses.

The department's stated expectation is that through Samanwaya, transgender persons can continue their education, which would increase their employment opportunities, help them get a job, and thereby lead a quality life.

Who is eligible for Samanwaya?

You can join Samanwaya if:

• You are a transgender person resident in Kerala.
• You left formal education before completing the level you want to certify: Samanwaya exists for dropouts.
• You are willing to enrol in a KSLMA equivalency course at Class 4, Class 7, Class 10 or higher secondary level.

You are not eligible if:

• You are not a transgender person. Samanwaya is a targeted programme; non-transgender learners who need equivalency education apply to KSLMA's general equivalency courses instead, which are open to all.
• You are not a resident of Kerala.
• You have already completed the level you are seeking to certify.

There is no income test and no age bar published for Samanwaya. Equivalency education by design serves adult learners who missed schooling years earlier, and the Social Justice Department has not attached a means test to this programme.

What do the Samanwaya equivalency courses cover?

Samanwaya uses the equivalency structure KSLMA already operates. KSLMA describes these courses as being for neo-literates and for those who could not complete formal education. The four levels used under Samanwaya are:

• Class IV equivalency, basic literacy and numeracy consolidation.
• Class VII equivalency; upper primary level certification.
• Class 10 equivalency, the level that matters most for employment, since a large share of jobs and further courses take Class 10 as the minimum.
• Higher secondary equivalency, a two-year course, which opens the door to degree admission.

KSLMA announces registration for these batches separately each year and publishes the notices on literacymissionkerala.org, along with textbooks, course calendars, hall tickets and examination results.

How to enrol in Samanwaya

1. Contact your District Transgender Justice Board or the District Social Justice Office. These are the bodies the Social Justice Department works through for transgender schemes, and they connect learners to the Samanwaya programme.
2. Watch for the KSLMA equivalency registration notice for the year on literacymissionkerala.org. Class IV and Class VII registration, Class 10 equivalency batches and the higher secondary equivalency batch are each announced separately.
3. Decide the level to register for. If you have a school transfer certificate, it settles the level. If you do not, KSLMA can place you after an assessment.
4. Submit the KSLMA registration form with your Aadhaar, photographs and residence proof at the district Literacy Mission office or the designated registration centre.
5. Collect the textbooks and course calendar, and attend the contact classes at the study centre allotted to you.
6. Sit the equivalency examination at the end of the course with the hall ticket issued by KSLMA.

What other Kerala schemes support transgender education?

Samanwaya covers the schooling gap, but it pays no money. Transgender learners in Kerala should look at these Social Justice Department schemes alongside it:

• Scholarship for Transgender Students.
• Financial aid for providing hostel facility to transgender students — Rs 4,000 per month towards rent or hostel accommodation.
• Saphalam, for transgender students in professional courses.
• Varnam, for transgender students in distance education courses.
• Yathnam, for transgender persons preparing for competitive examinations.
• Sakalyam; vocational training for transgender persons.
• Overseas scholarship scheme for transgender persons.
• Self-employment assistance for transgender persons.

A learner who clears Class 10 equivalency under Samanwaya becomes eligible for several of these in the following year, which is the practical reason to treat Samanwaya as a first step rather than as a standalone benefit.

Where do I get help with Samanwaya?

• 24x7 transgender helpline: 1800 425 2147. The Social Justice Department runs this line to provide assistance to transgender persons in distress, to explain basic rights, and to give counselling and legal assistance. It also functions as a crisis management centre with community counsellors and legal advisers.
• District Transgender Justice Board in your district.
• Transgender Cell constituted by the Social Justice Department.
• Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority for course, examination and certificate questions; literacymissionkerala.org.
• Directorate of Social Justice, Vikas Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram 695033, phone 0471-2306040 or 0471-2302887, email swdkerala@gmail.com.

Samanwaya charges no fee. KSLMA equivalency registration under the programme is part of the state's transgender welfare commitment, and no payment should be demanded for enrolment, textbooks or examination registration under it.