Mali

Mali's education system is crippled by jihadist insurgency in the north, which has shuttered over 2,000 schools since 2012, leaving 800,000 children without access. Even in peaceful regions, quality remains critically low, with only 35% of teachers meeting basic qualification standards. This underperformance is 20% worse than #6 Afghanistan's teacher training rate, highlighting a systemic failure that perpetuates a 75% youth illiteracy rate, faster than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa.