Private schools defy the Minister of Education by bypassing the school calendar. From the immediate cessation of classes at the secondary level to the sudden resumption in primary school, this is how the promoters of private schools are circumventing the Order No. 2020-002611/MENESRS-SG of the Ministers of the Ministers’ guardianship for personal purposes.
Is it a lack of consideration to the supervising minister Doulaye Keita? By refusing to respect the school vacation schedule, private school promoters hope to enrich themselves on the back of the Malian state. Indeed, in a communiqué from the Ministry of National Education, it was mentioned that classes were to continue until December 14.
Contrary to the decision N° 2020-002611/MENESRS-SG of September 11, 2020 rectifying the school calendar 2019-2020 which provided that the major vacations are scheduled from December 14, 2020 to January 4, 2021, it turned out that the reality is quite different in reality.
The observation is bitter, with the lack of follow-up that plagues the administration, and it is clear that laissez-faire has a bright future in Mali. The promoters of private schools have found the loophole. Not only have some promoters of private primary schools found it necessary to restart the new school year in order to continue to extract money from parents, but they have also trampled on this ministerial order for personal gain. Thus no vacations, these promoters hope to make up for the shortfall of the period of class closures during the health crisis due to the Covid19 . For they are numerous, these private primary schools which started the new year in several districts of Bamako to the detriment of the instructions of the supervising ministry.
Immediately, the private high schools that had released the 10th and 11th grade classes before the baccalaureate exam, decided not to continue classes until December 14, as announced by the above-mentioned ordinance. Thus, by refusing to reopen these classes, this will allow them to raise considerable amounts of money without any expenditure. For neither the teachers nor the administrative staff will be paid.
On the other hand, the State, for its part, is obliged to pay the November and December subsidies to private high schools. The promoters of private schools will benefit from these subsidies without being obliged to pay zero cents to the administrative staff.
Although Ms. Touré Zahiatou Ayouba director of the teaching academy of the right bank has tried to call to order in the letter No. 2020-0258/AE-BKO-RD all officials of private schools to respect the school calendar, it is unfortunate to see the opposite everywhere in full view of all.
