| dc.description.abstract | The Senegalese Sahel, characterised by arid conditions and savanna landscapes, is
predominantly inhabited by Fulani pastoralists. Fulani herders are often perceived
by researchers and policymakers as resistant to change and socially isolated, while
their mobility has long been analysed through nomadism and transhumance,
overlooking dynamics linked to globalisation, education, and urban migration.
This article examines how formal schooling is experienced, negotiated, and
reconciled with pastoral livelihoods among Fulani families in the Senegalese
Sahel, and what this reveals about broader social transformations in pastoral
society. Based on approximately thirty semi-structured interviews with herders,
school-going youth, teachers, pastoral experts, and local actors in Mboula,
Téssékère, Louguéré Thioly, and Oudalaye, the data were analysed using
thematic and conceptual analysis. Findings show profound change driven by
public policies and circulation of people and ideas in a globalised context. Young
people express aspirations toward ‘modernity’, including new economic
opportunities, mobility, and changing gender roles, generating tensions with
pastoral life. Rather than rejecting schooling, families actively negotiate and
adapt it, developing hybrid strategies combining formal education and pastoral
knowledge transmission. Study highlights the need for education policies adapted
to transhumance cycles, integrating pastoral knowledge and strengthening
vocational training and girls’ access to schooling in pastoral areas. | en_US |
