By Lucy Tian | GAIA VF Intern
Education in Mali is free and compulsory up to ninth grade, or age 16. This is theoretically nine years of continuous, free education. However, the average expected years of schooling is only 7.5 years. About 70% of primary school-aged children are enrolled in school, and that percentage drops to 36% when it comes to secondary school-aged children enrolled in school. Barriers like transportation costs, supplies costs, and school funding restrict the number of school-aged children who actually enroll and attend school. Within the population of children itself, girls lag behind boys by nearly 10%. Home duty expectations along with childhood marriage dramatically decrease the amount of education a girl receives in Mali. A quarter of girls are married by age 15, and a third are married by age 18. More than 9 out of 10 girls in Mali are illiterate. Much of the consequences are part of decisions made without the child’s input, making them powerless to pursue education. The Teen Peer Education Program provides opportunities for girls to take charge of their narrative again. Not only does it serve to educate young girls, it mentors them to become community educators themselves.
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