Srinagar : In a focused initiative to improve learning outcomes among nomadic pastoral communities, the Himalayan Pastoral Trust (HPT), in collaboration with Nature Classrooms, Bengaluru, conducted a two-day residential workshop for Seasonal Mobile School teachers from May 4–5 under its “Grasslands to Classrooms” programme.
The workshop aimed at strengthening context-sensitive, low-cost, and innovative teaching practices for educators working in remote alpine pastures under the Samagra Shiksha initiative.
A total of 25 seasonal teachers from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir participated in the programme. These teachers serve children of nomadic families in high-altitude migratory zones, where education delivery is challenged by harsh terrain, short teaching cycles, and multi-grade classroom settings.
Officials and experts stressed the need to shift towards nature-integrated learning models, highlighting that pastoral landscapes themselves can serve as effective learning environments.
Samagra Shiksha Kashmir Coordinator Asif Mehraj Shah, who attended the workshop, appreciated the initiative and called for innovative, environment-based pedagogy for children in migratory regions.
Programme coordinator Arif Hussain said that conventional classroom methods are inadequate for such settings, adding that learning must be aligned with the lived realities of pastoral children to improve engagement and comprehension.
Participants described the training as practical and relevant, noting that it offered workable strategies to address field-level challenges in seasonal schooling.
The workshop concluded with a collective resolve to enhance foundational learning and make Seasonal Mobile Schools more effective, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of nomadic communities.
