Mauritanian authorities have announced plans to close the majority of private primary schools and transfer students into the state system, a move officials say will reduce educational inequality and improve the country's overall education rankings. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from private school educators, who oppose the forced transition. The debate is playing out most visibly in Nouakchott (Mauritania's capital and largest city), where the tension between access to free public schooling and parental choice in education is particularly acute.