Mali - Educational System—overview

Education is now compulsory for 9 years, from the ages of 7 to 16. The school year lasts from October to June. There are four types of primary schools in Mali. Some public schools offer a traditional French language curriculum while others use the pédagogie convergente described above. There are also community and international nongovernmental agency supported schools, some of which use a traditional French language curriculum while others teach in the mother tongue without using the pédagogie convergente. Finally a few private schools use the traditional French language curriculum; others provide bilingual Arab/French instruction.

In 1997-1998, only 49 percent of the children aged 7 to 12 attended school; this is among the lowest levels of school attendance in the world. In rural areas, the attendance rate was lower still: only 30 percent of the children attended (and only 25 percent of the girls).