Education in Mali

Education in Mali is considered a fundamental right of Malians. For most of Mali's history, the government split primary education into two cycles which allowed Malian students to take examinations to gain admission to secondary, tertiary, or higher education. Mali has recently seen large increases in school enrollment due to educational reforms.

Mali has a long history about education, dating back to the years before 1960, when Mali was under the rule of France. After gaining independence, the Malian government made many efforts to incorporate more African and bilingual education into classrooms. Additionally, after the 1990s, when the Malian government shifted from a one party system to a democracy, the government created policies which focused on literacy and educational quality.

In addition to primary public and private schools, other types of schools in Mali include vocational and technical institutions, religious schools, community schools, and schools for those with disabilities. Especially since Islam is the main religion in Mali, madrassas and medersas are two Islamic institutions which many Malians attend. Additionally, community schools have become increasingly popular in this country since they are usually more accessible, especially to rural students, and allow students to engage with their communities. In recent years, many communities have created initiatives to incorporate deaf and disabled students into classrooms.

With approximately half of Malians ages 15-24 illiterate, literacy has been an issue of concern for the Malian government. National programs to address this issue focus on first giving students the knowledge they need to read and write. Afterwards, communities and foreign countries try to incorporate post literacy and integrated literacy into educational programs to allow students to utilize their new skills to help the economy and community. One famous example of a literacy project Mali took part in is the Experimental World Literacy Program.

The differences between French, Mali's national language, and local languages have caused many problems in education. Access, geographic location, gender bias, and the quality of education are also issues that many Malians face. Food, nutrition, disease, disability, and educational inefficiencies contribute to some of the problems with education in this country. Nevertheless, there have been many domestic and foreign initiatives to confront some of these issues. Additionally, foreign policies, such as those in the United States and France, and community initiatives, such as the mobilization of animatrices, have developed Malian education.

During the French colonization of West Africa, the French Navy constructed some of the first schools in Mali. In 1877, the French introduced the first public schools to Mali which were collectively known as the Schools of Hostages, a name inspired by the tensions between the French and indigenous chiefs. However, by 1899, these public schools were renamed to the Schools for Sons of Chiefs, or Les Ecoles des Fils des Chefs, as a part of a larger French effort to cooperate with the indigenous population. Joseph Gallieni and Louis Archinard are two individuals who contributed to the opening of some of these first schools during the 19th century.

During the French rule of Mali, the education was mainly geared towards teaching information about France and the French language rather than Malian traditions. Many historians and authors, such as Charles Cutter, believe that Malians did not enjoy many rights during this era and faced an identity crisis while assimilating to French culture. To avoid this crisis, Malians relied on maintaining oral traditions. Additionally, many Malians sent their children to traditional and Islamic schools in an effort to have their children learn more about the cultural traditions of Mali. For example, in Kayes, after the first French schools opened up, ethnic groups decided to send their children to madrassas and medersas, or private Islamic schools taught in Arabic. These ethnic groups, along with many others in Mali, believed that sending children to these schools was a way to make a political and religious statement, acquire merit, and create an African-Muslim identity. In 1906, the French created their own version of medersas in Djenné and Timbuktu in the French language, which allowed students to pursue career opportunities within the French administration.

The French passed the Ordinance of November 24th, 1903 which developed public education in French West Africa. This was part of a larger effort to create more primary and regional schools. Specifically, this ordinance developed more schools at various levels ranging from the local level to the secondary and vocational levels. Additionally, it allowed teachers to gain more experience and training. Although this ordinance made major breakthroughs in the development of schools, historians such as Boniface Obichere cite it as being discriminatory against native Malians.