Migration, Education and Development

Partner Institutes
University of Sussex	Quaid-i-Azam University

University of Sussex, UK and Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan are working on a project that deals with the links between migration and education. The aim is to provide practical insight for policymakers in the field of education on how to respond to the consequences of migration as a means for attaining educational goals, and as a strategy to support future migration plans. A fundamental aim of the project is to provide practical insight for policymakers and to forward academic debates on the links between migration and education.  Different policy-related communications will address national and international policymakers, donors, national governments, local and regional governments and other local actors such as migrants and diasporic groups. 

Through the INSPIRE partnership, there will be an analysis of all the remittances channelled towards supporting and improving educational institutions and resources in development contexts; how ‘migrant children’s’ education might be affected by their movement between places; and how immigration policy may impact on potential migrants’ education.

The starting premise is that whilst international migration is generally associated with wide reaching social and cultural transformations, the direction of change in educational practices is unpredictable, being contingent not only on social, religious-cultural and political circumstances of migrant communities, but also on the specific life trajectories of migrant households.

The aim is to analyse the empirical data on the relationship between education and migration in each location, understand the effects of migration on social and economic change in sending contexts and specifically, the consequences for education and lastly to evaluate the way investments in education by migrants and prospective migrants influence migration and development outcomes.

This project will provide an opportunity to expand the existing financial and administrative infrastructure in the department of anthropology at QAU. It will also promote academic linkages between the two institutions and develop long-term collaboration between both the institutions for future mutual research activities.

Lessons Learnt: 

• During the field work it was felt that the migrants are very much reluctant to provide information about their income/remittances. It was also noted that the money which they receive is mainly utilised either on house construction or on the purchase of land/residential plots.
• The remittance has also created problems with in the family due to which the family system is breaking-up from joint to nuclear. The parents also spend their money on the education of the children and send them to good quality education institutions, but due to the father’s absence, the mothers are losing the control over their children.

Challenges Faced: 

• During field work in District Kotli, AJK, it was difficult to approach the migrant houses because they were located in small hamlets much away from each other. The female researchers faced much difficulty to reach the respondents’ houses. 
• During the initial days of the field work, the researchers were not well received by the respondents as they thought that they have come from Govt. and belong to income tax department and might create problems for them. However, with the passage of time and with the help of key informants, the researchers were able to develop meaningful rapport with the community members.  

  

Impact of the Project:

• This INSPIRE partnership will provide practical insight for policymakers in the field of education on how to respond to the consequences of migration as a means for attaining educational goals, and as a strategy to support future migration plans. 

Key Contacts: 

Dr Filippo Osella, University of Sussex

f.osella@sussex.ac.uk, www.sussex.ac.uk

Dr. Hafeez-ur-Rehman, Quaid-i-Azam University

Hafeez@qau.edu.pk, www.qau.edu.pk