Education prospects bleak for children in war-torn Mali | Celeste Hicks

A coup, a displaced population and rebel Islamist takeover in the north left hundreds of schools closed for months

as we approach the new school year in Mali, it seems increasingly unlikely that hundreds of schools throughout the north and controlled Islamic have been closed for several months reopen soon.

Thousands of children had their last years in ruins. When the Tuareg rebel MNLA has taken the cities of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu in early 2012, prices were interrupted by long teacher strike. Then, fighting erupted between Islamist rebels and AQIM MNLA, Ansar Dine and MUJAO and schools were closed and parents to keep their children in safety. Victorious Islamists said they even impose Sharia across the north and called the establishment of Koranic schools where girls and boys can not be taught together.

Although a new national government was appointed by the President of Mali, Dioncounda Traoré, in August, the new Department of Education has so far been unable to do much to get children back school.

"This has a huge impact on children psychologically and across the country. How can we train the next generation?" Maiga said Dramane, director of basic education in the Ministry of Education. "But how do you convince someone who is pointing an AK47 in which we should open a school?"

side closed schools, thousands of people have fled to the north - recent data suggest that at least 174,000 people have been displaced and more than 200,000 are living in refugee camps in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania all with limited access to education.

• But some children came to the capital, Bamako, and receive refresher courses organized by UNICEF and the Government of Mali. Is 12,000 displaced people live with their extended families in Bamako, classes and support young people who had exams in the school year ending in July. The Government is committed to take steps to pass the exams in October.
"When I heard about these new sessions, I was in Mauritania, but I told my family that I was going to Bamako," said the 19-year-old Zeinab Elmouany Lala, from Timbuktu. "Just what I thought was my exams. Did worked so hard and you can not go anywhere in life without them. Want to go to college. Was only a few weeks of study this year. You Forgot. I do my best to pass the exams. "

North

Many teachers have also fled south, driven by the Islamists since they were hired by the state to teach a secular program. "They hate the public school system, what I can do, I can not teach the Koran, I am a classically trained," said Souleymane Maiga, who taught physics and chemistry in Timbuktu. "I had to leave but all teachers have come here. Hopefully not find another job. "

Mali already has a poor academic record. According to the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, the literacy rate for adults aged 15 to 24 years, 47% men and 31% women. Thousands of children, especially girls, just do it in primary school. Most wealthy parents send their children to private schools, where rates can be more than $ 1,000 per year.

"The closure of these schools in the north only compounds an already difficult situation and puts extra pressure on the system, particularly with the suspension of aid after the military coup in March donors funds, "says Gobina Euphrates, UNICEF Chief of Education in Bamako. "We are reaching only a small number of children to date, those in grades 1-8 [childen between five and 15] receive nothing for the moment."

There is little chance the lost territory in the north soon recovered. President of Mali has formally requested the regional grouping, the Economic Community of the States of West Africa, to send a force to assist the Malian army in this task, but the question remains deep divisions between Malians and some some of the soldiers after the coup of March we were told not to accept foreign forces in Mali.

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