Srinagar, June 27 -- In much of the world, children travel to school. In the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, sometimes it's the school that must travel to the child.

For thousands of tribal children-Gujjars, Bakarwals, Gaddis, Sippis-education has never been as simple as stepping into a classroom. These children live on the move, crossing valleys and climbing high-altitude pastures as part of centuries-old migration patterns.

For them, the school bell does not ring in a building with walls and a blackboard. If they are lucky, it arrives in a tent or a van, somewhere on the slopes of the Pir Panjal.

Jammu and Kashmir's tribal population makes up nearly 12 percent of the region, according to the 2011 Census. The Gujjars and Bakarwals, th...