Seasonal schools keep learning alive for nomadic children in Kashmir
Shopian, Jun 22: In a ribbon-like meadow in Wawyard, about 13 km from south Kashmir’s Shopian town along the historic Mughal Road, a group of students huddle inside a tent, their voices rising in unison as they recite their lessons. “This tent is our school. Every day, we come here to learn and read out loud together. It feels good to have a school here,” said Shahnaz, a class 5 student from the nomadic Bakerwal community.
Shahnaz and her family move to the alpine pastures each summer with their livestock, as part of the centuries-old migration followed by the Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes. To ensure their children don’t fall behind in their education, the government sets up seasonal schools under the SamagraShikshaprogramme — a nationwide initiative aimed at improving access and equity in education from pre-school to Class 12.
Teacher Shahid Ahmad said over 30 students are enrolled at the centre. Their homes, made of tarpaulin tents, are pitched just a few metres away.
“The teacher comes regularly and teaches us all subjects, just like in a proper school,” said a group of students, pointing toward a blackboard inside the tent.
The seasonal schools operate for about six months each year, typically from May to October, before shutting for winter when the nomadic families return to the plains.
Launched in 2003 through a collaboration between the Jammu and Kashmir government and the central government, the seasonal education programme recruits nearly hundreds of teachers annually to serve in remote grazing areas.
“These schools make a real difference,” said Mir Mohammad, a tribal elder. “Every summer, we bring our livestock here and now, our children can study too.”
The initiative has drawn consistent support from nomadic communities. Government data shows that 28,518 nomadic children were enrolled in 2015–16, while 22,946 were covered in 2016–17. While challenges persist including weather, mobility, and resource constraints mobile classrooms like the one in Wawyard are helping bridge the education gap for some of children, belonging to marginalised communities.
