Reaching the unreached through nomadic schools

With a resurgence in indigenous cultures in Siberia, UNESCO's Moscow office has stepped up to meet the challenge of providing schools for these nomadic communities. Originally popular in the '20s and '30s, with the help of UNESCO, nomadic schools are being modernized.

Nomadic schools come in a variety of forms, but most all include a small group of pupils, a single teacher covering multiple topics, and texts in the mother tongue. Often the teacher is a member of the local community. UNESCO is helping to implement information and communication technologies (ICTs) and distance education, as well as increased quality in teacher training.   

According to Sargyiana Zhirkova nomadic schools provide "education while adapting traditional culture to the 21st century." She believes, however, that more trained and qualified teachers are needed to make the program successful. 

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