Education Program 
“Expand Access to Quality Basic Education, with an emphasis on reinforcing lifelong literacy in Mali.”
While access to education is improving, the greatest impediment to achieving universal basic education remains the poor quality of education.
USAID’s supports the Government of Mali’s ten-year reform plan (PRODEC) to improve the quality of basic education.
USAID/Mali education objective is to expand access to Quality Basic Education with and emphasis on life long literacy.
To achieve this objective, USAID Mali strategies are:
- to improve instruction to reinforce literacy and numeracy in grades 1-9
- to improve the capacity of the Ministry of Education to implement decentralization
- to improve the coordination between schools, Ministry of Education decentralized units, and commune level planning.
- To improve the quality of instruction for targeted and hard to reach populations
Mali facts at a glance:
- Mali population: 12,7 millions
- Demographic growth: 3.3% per year, one of the highest in the world. Population will double in 23 years.
- Net Enrollment Rate at the primary level: 62.1% (55.2% for girls).
- Percentage on national budget spent on education: 33%
Our Activities:
Road to Reading
a five- year nation-wide effort to improve reading instruction in Grades 1-6. The program increases educational opportunities for targeted populations through Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) that models effective instructional methods to improve students’ acquisition of French literacy skills.
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Education Decentralization Program
a five year support to the decentralization process focused on improving the capacity of the Ministry of Education to implement decentralization, while promoting joint planning between the Ministry's decentralized offices, communes, and primary schools.
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PAPA between Peace Corps and USAID
a two year inter–agency education pilot project through which USAID/Mali works with Peace Corps to support the education sector through literacy and other community-level projects.
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TOSTAN
promotes grassroots democracy and respect for human rights through non-formal education and community empowerment
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AGSP (Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Program)
USAID/Mali serves as the MOE’s primary USG contact for the ongoing Ambassador’s Girls’ Scholarship centrally-funded program that provides scholarships each year to girls in Mali’s three northern regions of Timbuktu, Gao, and Kidal.
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Out-of-School Youth
USAID/Mali is currently developing a five-year program aimed at providing school drop-outs with relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes conducive to the changing needs of the Malian economy. The goal will be to enable Malian youth to become better educated and productive citizens, while improving their prospects for employment. This program, jointly funded by the Education and Accelerated Economic Growth USAID offices, will be developed and implemented in partnership with the Ministries of Education, Youth, Employment and with private sector. This program will be implemented through EQUIP 3 / Leader With Associates.
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USAID/Basic Education 2 Program (BE2)
USAID/Mali intends to develop a program which will assist the Ministry of Education, Literacy and National Languages (MEALN) in expanding access to lower secondary education and in improving quality and relevancy of this level of basic education. The Program aims to respond to a growing pressure on lower secondary education resulting from increasing enrolment and completion rates in primary schools. The Lower-Secondary Education Program will come in support of the 3rd phase of Mali Education Sector Investment Program (PISE3) which emphasizes the development of basic education and enhancement of the quality of instruction.
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Last Updated on: February 23, 2012