A non-binary lens on classroom inclusivity

Non-binary narratives in learning practices can foster social consciousness outside classrooms.

There is a pertinent question that reverberates through the very fabric of inclusive education: What does it truly mean to belong in a classroom? A question that has profound significance, especially for non-binary students navigating binary-oriented classrooms. This concern requires not just a response, but a reimagining of what classrooms can and should be – a transformative arena where every student feels seen, heard, and included.

Recently, the Karnataka High Court, in hearing a writ petition (WP 14909/2023) of Mugil Anbu Vasantha v. State of Karnataka & Ors., directed NLSIU, Bengaluru, to uphold constitutional guarantees for transgender students by providing 0.5 per cent reservation in law courses.

While NLSIU has been a relatively inclusive campus space for non-binary students as part of an ongoing journey towards holistic inclusivity, this directive by the High Court presents a key framework for extending the representation of non-binary students in India’s classrooms. Mugil Anbu Vasantha’s writ petition goes beyond placing the spotlight on a single institution. It rather highlights a broader systemic failure of mainstream society floundering to address the concerns of non-binary students.

This calls urgent attention to the need to interrogate the existing ‘inclusive’ educational frameworks fraught with concerns of discrimination and exclusion. Simultaneously, a discussion on the contemporary perspectives on education also underscores the radical project of subject formation – driven by notions of efficiency, merit, and commodification.

While the education landscape claims to pursue new forms of reasoning and rationality that aim to instil liberal values of equality and the legacy of humanism, it is often observed to be reviving the traditional moral order associated with family, gender roles, and social hierarchies. It is also to be noted that within this framework, inclusive education for non-binary students encounters unique contradictions.

Therefore, the model of inclusive education vis-à-vis non-binary students emphasises a system that adapts to the needs of students rather than expecting students to conform to a rigid framework. For non-binary students, this approach challenges traditional norms and paves the way for greater acceptance and equity.

On the contrary, the content of curricula – shaped by the binary mainstream – emphasises the social construction theory expounding on the constructs of ‘men’ and ‘women’ based on physiological signifiers, further reimposing the normativity of cis-embodiments both inside and outside classrooms.

A practice that effectively posits trans and non-binary bodies as exceptions or ‘others’ confounding the very logic of inclusion. Academic resources and teaching techniques often omit diverse identities, and rigid assessment systems struggle to acknowledge the lived realities of marginalised groups, including queer and non-binary individuals.

Moreover, these inclusive classrooms often discuss non-binary discourses distinctively outside/adjunction to the binary reinforcing the binary as the mainstream and all other identities and practices as exceptions: a construct that has historically harmed non-binary people and their knowledge. These classroom methods rooted in traditional gender roles, reflect cis-gender, heteronormative priorities by favouring conformity over diversity, ensuring that societal structures remain predictable and governable.

Unlearning the normal

Education systems have mutated from spaces of critical thinking to prioritising individual achievement and societal expectations. Consequently, narratives that challenge conventional norms, such as those of non-binary identities, are often overlooked or marginalised. Inclusive education for non-binary students in India continues to face systemic barriers exacerbated by structural inequities, where access to quality education is rapidly privileging financial capacity and peripheralising marginalised students.

What we need are classrooms that integrate non-binary discourses into contemporary, intersectional contexts rather than a narrow specialisation dealing with a rarified population of non-binary people – classrooms that encourage students to unlearn the hegemonies of arranging bodies and their preferences into binary categories.

In India, the constitutional mandate of equality and the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, guarantees free and compulsory education to children aged 6 to 14. The landmark 2014 NALSA verdict recognising transgender individuals apart from the male-female binary and the subsequent 2018 Navtej Singh Johar verdict on decriminalisation of homosexuality under Section 377 by the Supreme Court of India has laid the groundwork for broader acceptance and inclusion of queer individuals.

Moreover, policies like the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 provide a framework for addressing discrimination and ensuring access to education, but their implementation is complicated by binary normativity focused on standardised metrics sidelining marginalised groups, including non-binary students.

Inclusive education should be framed as an interrogating and suggestive mechanism for socially entrenched prejudices and stereotypes leading to exclusion, bullying, and discrimination of non-binary students in the classrooms.

Kerala stands out as the only Indian state incorporating progressive representations of gender in school textbooks. An effort that challenges traditional gender roles and stereotypes, breaking from the mainstream norms to prioritise social justice over market logic. For a meaningful change, education systems must prioritise inclusivity by integrating non-binary narratives into textbooks, curricula, and classroom practices to foster a non-binary mindset rather than marginalising.

Including teaching materials for both students and educators, that represent diverse identities and experiences, along with specialised hands-on training in inclusive teaching methodologies, can challenge the market-driven tendency to cater only to dominant cultural norms. This shift would not only benefit non-binary students but also cultivate empathetic social consciousness both inside and outside classrooms. Moreover, the implementation of robust anti-bullying policies along with all-gender toilets and inclusive spaces in educational facilities can further address inclusivity through collective responsibility.

Inclusive education, particularly for non-binary students, requires addressing systemic barriers and fostering a culture of acceptance. By creating supportive and affirming learning environments, our classrooms can support students who are often marginalised due to their gender identities. While the journey toward inclusive classrooms is challenging, the rewards – a more equitable and empathetic society – are invaluable.

(Swarupa is a human rights lawyer, academic and a trans-ally; Aniket is an assistant professor of sociology and co-director of the Centre for Study of Social Inclusion at NLSIU, Bengaluru)