Educational Trajectories of Afghan Refugees Through Pakistan

• In Event: Gender, Race, and Movement: Multi-age Youth Crossing Borders and Divides

Abstract

This study charts the multiplicity of educational pathways Afghan refugee students traverse in Pakistan and seeks design principles for culturally responsive pedagogies in North American classrooms. Drawing on documentary analysis of peer-reviewed articles, government and NGO reports, and news media, it unpacks how legal status, gender norms, ethnic affiliation, and institutional ecologies intersect to shape access, quality, and content of schooling. Findings reveal stark bifurcations by registration, sectarian streams, and gender, yielding highly varied prior learning experiences. We propose asset-based entry assessments, community liaisons to bridge documentation gaps, and flexible curricular designs that affirm refugees as co-creators of knowledge. By centering intersectionality, this work advances AERA’s Research, Remedy, and Repair theme through pathways to equitable, empowering classrooms.

Author

• Ana Kanza Tariq, University of Toronto - OISE