The Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) hosted an engaging seminar titled Learning and Teaching on the Move: Education in Nomadic Communities in Pakistan. The session was presented by Ms. Zeeba Hashmi, an independent education and human rights researcher and Honorary Research Fellow at AKU-IED.
Introducing the session, Dr. Sajid Ali highlighted the seminar series' commitment to expanding educational discourse beyond conventional boundaries and creating space for diverse perspectives on learning, knowledge, and social development. He noted that Ms. Hashmi's work exemplifies the spirit of the seminar series by bringing attention to communities and educational realities that remain largely absent from mainstream educational research.
Drawing on fieldwork conducted since 2024, Ms. Hashmi shared findings from her ongoing research on the Bakarwal nomadic community, a pastoralist subgroup of the wider Gujjar population whose seasonal migration patterns stretch across northern Pakistan. She emphasized that despite the presence of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million nomadic people in Pakistan, there remains limited documentation, policy recognition, and research on their educational experiences and indigenous knowledge systems.
The presentation examined the innovative educational model developed by the Himalayan Literacy Network, which established community-based mobile schools that move with nomadic populations along migratory routes. Originating from the vision of community leader Haji Nizamuddin, these schools seek to ensure that children have access to education without requiring families to abandon their migratory lifestyle or separate from their children.
A key theme of the presentation was the distinction between schooling, education, and learning. Ms. Hashmi argued that conventional education systems often overlook the rich indigenous knowledge possessed by nomadic communities, including environmental stewardship, livestock management, ecological knowledge, and cultural heritage. She stressed that educational inclusion should not demand assimilation or the abandonment of cultural identities. Instead, education systems should recognize and build upon existing community knowledge and lived experiences.
Particular attention was given to the role of mother-tongue instruction in supporting children's learning. The mobile schools use local languages as mediums of instruction, enabling children to acquire foundational literacy skills before transitioning to additional languages, including English. According to the research findings, this approach has contributed positively to student learning and has facilitated successful transitions into formal schools for some learners.
Ms. Hashmi also discussed the multiple challenges faced by nomadic communities, including lack of legal recognition, insecure access to grazing lands, absence of formal agreements with landowners, restrictions on movement, inadequate veterinary services, and the effects of climate change on livestock. These challenges directly influence educational access and continuity.
The research employed a mixed-methods design consisting of site observations, interviews with community leaders, household heads, women, and teachers, focus group discussions, classroom observations, and teacher surveys. Findings revealed a strong demand for education across the community. Parents expressed aspirations for their children to develop literacy, numeracy, and practical skills that would enable them to navigate broader social institutions while also preserving their cultural heritage.
Importantly, the study found encouraging attitudes toward the education of girls. Community members reported enrolling both boys and girls in mobile schools, largely because the schools operate within the community and provide a culturally familiar and trusted learning environment. Women participants particularly emphasized the desire for their children to become literate and acquire the skills needed to pursue future opportunities and choices beyond traditional livelihoods.
Reflecting on her field experiences in high-altitude Himalayan settlements, Ms. Hashmi shared vivid accounts of the physical challenges involved in accessing remote schools, including crossing glacial rivers and traversing mountainous terrain. These experiences underscored the commitment of educators and community members who work to sustain learning opportunities in some of the country's most difficult geographical conditions.
The discussion that followed explored several important themes. Participants raised questions regarding women's education, the role of migratory communities in national census systems, health and immunization record-keeping for mobile populations, and the relationship between indigenous knowledge and formal education. Contributions from participants familiar with pastoralist communities further enriched the conversation by highlighting learners' strengths in numeracy, environmental awareness, and practical problem-solving.
In concluding remarks by Dr Sajid Ali, the session moderator described the seminar as an important contribution to broadening understandings of education and inclusion. He emphasized that nomadic and indigenous communities possess unique knowledge systems that deserve recognition within educational research and policy discussions. The seminar served as a reminder that meaningful educational development requires attention not only to schools and curricula but also to the diverse ways communities create, preserve, and transmit knowledge across generations.
The session concluded with appreciation for Ms. Hashmi's pioneering work in documenting educational practices among Pakistan's nomadic populations and for bringing greater visibility to communities whose voices are rarely represented in educational discourse.
Rapporteur: Zamir Ud din MPhil Student
