Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses the impact of insecurity on schools in two areas of central Mali. It highlights the dynamics of the schools' functioning in the context of great insecurity.

Paper long abstract:

The proliferation of non-functioning schools is one of the most visible consequences of the security crisis that Mali has been facing over the last decade. The Mopti and Ségou regions are the hardest hit, due to their location in the areas where armed jihadist groups operate. This paper will analyze the impact of violent extremism on school closures, using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews. Violent extremists' rationale for attacking schools focuses mainly on the values they convey, which are said to run counter to those of Islam. While this paper outlines general problems that affect the educational system, it focuses on the specificities of our survey areas Farako (Ségou) and Ténénkou (Mopti), especially the social and political dynamics at work in the various localities. The results of our field research reveal the strategies developed by state authorities "top-down", and by local communities "bottom up", to ensure that schools can continue to function normally. Our research also shows that contexts differ from one district to the next so that any homogenization of these highly localized dynamics would lead to overgeneralization.