Charity organizations that now fund educational institutions in Mali are faced with a problem after the Malian government revealed plans to discontinue subsidizing education at all Catholic schools in the West African nation. Prior to Mali’s 1960 independence from France, there were Catholic schools throughout the nation. Between 1889 and 1904, white missionaries established schools in places including Kita, Timbuktu, and Segou.
An agreement to subsidize 80 percent of teachers’ wages was signed by the Malian government and the Catholic Church in 1972.
According to the administration, those subsidies will be eliminated starting next year. In light of the nation’s economic difficulties, the government has been expressing concerns regarding the growing expense of the subsidies, among other things. The government’s plan to eliminate subsidies starting in the 2025–2026 school year puts Catholic education in the nation at risk, “potentially harming the holistic education of young people and weakening ties of understanding and respect between religious communities,” according to Maria Lozano, director of the Pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need International Press and Media Department.
About 2000 Catholic school teachers in Mali may be fired as a result of the funding elimination, according to Mali’s Catholic officials.