Mali opened its school year on 1 October with 2,444 of its 11,860 schools shut because of jihadist activity, attacks, teacher fears and use of buildings to shelter displaced families, according to June figures from the national education cluster cited by RFI. The closures affect about 733,200 children and have risen steadily from 1,300 in 2020 and 1,800 in 2024, with the worst-hit areas being Kidal in the north, where 84% of schools are closed after rebels and al-Qaeda-linked fighters seized the region in April, and parts of central Mali. The military-led government has declared 2026-2027 the "Year of Education and Culture" and pledged to step up the fight against insecurity, but the figures show the country's education crisis deepening.