School closures caused by insecurity in Mali keep rising: 2,444 of the country’s 11,860 schools could not reopen when the school year began on 1 October. The closures, recorded by the education cluster led by the education ministry and partners, keep about 733,200 children out of class, against 1,300 closed schools in 2020 and 1,800 in 2024. Jihadist groups have forced schools shut, and teachers and families have fled attacks; in Kidal, 84% of schools are closed. President Assimi Goïta declared 2026–27 the “Year of Education and Culture”. The figures show how far state services have retreated from the north and centre, where armed groups control most rural areas.