Migration Is A School For Mobile Pastoralist Children
The Bacak family’s spring migration in Turkey highlights mobile pastoralism’s cultural and ecological significance. It offers essential survival skills and socialization for pastoralist children. However, current education policies disrupt their participation. Adaptive education policies are needed, and social isolation remains a key challenge.
This spring, we are accompanying the Bacak family of Sarıkeçili nomadic pastoralists in Turkey during their hundreds of kilometres of spring migration from their wintering site on the shores of the Mediterranean to their summering sites in Central Anatolia, beyond the Taurus Mountains. Their journey highlights various dimensions of mobile pastoralism as a biodiversity and climate-friendly cultural practice. We are excited to share our in-situ observations day by day, each focusing on a particular aspect of mobile pastoralism.
Migration is a crucial educational experience for mobile pastoralist children, providing them with essential survival skills, knowledge of nature and wildlife, and socialization opportunities with other families and children. However, current education policies, designed from a settled perspective, often prevent these children from participating in this vital event. The spring migration (April-June) and fall migration (September-October) coincide with the school calendar, forcing many pastoralist families to leave their children with relatives or in dormitories. In some cases, the eldest family members may settle temporarily to look after the children during these periods.
Education policies should be tailored to the best interests of mobile pastoralist children and adapted to their mobile lifestyle. There are examples of adaptive education systems in other countries. In fact, in 1967, Turkey issued a directive on mobile schools to address the educational needs of these communities, but it was never enforced and was repealed in 2011.
Another significant issue affecting mobile pastoralist children is social isolation and the lack of communication with their peers. In the past, 10-15 tents would migrate together, but now it is often just two tents. Land grabbing by the state, agriculture, industry, and other sectors has restricted their mobility and traditional customs. Additionally, hostility from settled communities contributes to this isolation. The loss of migration routes and seasonal pastures has reduced the number of tents, increased distances between them, and damaged social interaction mechanisms. As a result, mobile pastoralist children have fewer opportunities to meet, socialize, and play with each other.
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