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Flexible education for nomadic communities

11 June 2008

South Asia forum calls for action to prevent exclusion

Non-conventional education practices, including open distance learning have an important role to play in giving millions of nomadic and migrant children access to education – in line with the international development goals for 2015.

Florence Malinga, Adviser for Education at the Commonwealth Secretariat told delegates at the Regional Forum on Nomadic Education in New Delhi, India, that the potential of technology and open distance learning were key to reaching these disadvantaged communities.

If the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in education, as well as the Education for All initiative are to be realised, innovative and flexible education practices will have to be explored, she said.

“Low education levels have contributed to denying nomadic communities the ability to participate in determining their own educational, social and developmental activities, resulting in not having sufficient control over their livelihood.

“This situation is further compounded because of their mobile lifestyle. For most communities, their migration routes cross through various countries and consequently, governments are reluctant to make available scarce resources because they are difficult to reach and govern.”

The eight MDGs, which have a target date of 2015, are an international blueprint for bettering the lives of the world’s poorest people. The Education Goal aims to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling. The Education for All initiative is co-ordinated by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and aims to galvanise global support in meeting the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015.

The countries of the South Asia region have the largest concentration of nomadic populations in the Commonwealth. In India, between six and seven per cent of the population is nomadic or migrant.

Ms Malinga cited the importance of reaching these communities, including for health issues such as HIV/AIDS; skills training, such as animal management, agriculture science and pasture regeneration; and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The workshop was opened by Arun Kumar Rath, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resources Development, India. It brought together representatives from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, as well as NGOs, educators and community-based organisations.

In their concluding statement on 29 May, delegates recommended a series of actions at national regional and international level.

Concluding statement from a Regional Forum on Nomadic Education