"I
like going to school because I want to learn how to
speak French. If I learn French it will be very useful
to my people. It will help me to bring them money
and grain because when I know French I will be able
to get a good job, and when I work I will earn money
and I will either send some money to my people, or
I will buy grain and send it to them. If I'm working
in the city I will ask my brother to look after my
animals."
Alhousseyni Ag Midi, age 12
Most Malians are very poor and can’t
afford to send their children to school: government
spending on education is low putting the burden
onto parents. This has meant that only about 30
per cent of people can read and write.
The average child in Mali will be
at school for only 3 years, compared to 11 years
in the United Kingdom. And because families usually
think it’s more important for boys to get an
education than girls, more men than women are literate
in Mali today: only 23 per cent of girls can read
and write, compared to 39 per cent of men.
Mali’s government is now trying
to put this right, by making primary school education
more affordable for poor people. There are ambitious
plans to increase education spending, but the task
ahead is huge.
Listen
to the sound of the school bell
(399KB)
Listen
to a class say
"good morning"
to their teacher (321KB)
