The government of Mali and UNICEF are gearing up to try to place half a million children, whose lives have been disrupted by the conflict in the north, flooding and a nutrition crisis, in school.
About 9,000 teachers will receive training throughout the 2013-2014 academic year. Additionally, temporary learning spaces will be created and damaged schools repaired. However, UNICEF has not received the US $21 million that is needed to meet the education needs of the children. As of July, only 38% of the funding has been received.
Francoise Ackermans, the UNICEF representative in Bamako, visited schools in Gao where 168 children were sitting on the floor in one classroom. “In the North, many schools have been looted and children have often no other option but to sit on the floor during class. More than half of the schools in Timbuktu and Gao are still in need of teaching, learning and recreational materials, including notebooks and desks,” she said.
In spite of the lack of funding, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF are determined to roll out the “Back-To-School” campaign targeting children directly affected by the conflict.
As Ackermans noted, “This is a critical moment. Less than a month after the election, Malian people are very keen on rebuilding their country and returning to their normal lives. They know education is the cornerstone of this reconstruction process.”
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