THE CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION
Madagascar’s education system improved in the early 2000s, when the elementary school completion rate reached 60%. The situation has deteriorated since the political crisis of 2009. Today, the vast majority of primary school teachers are recruited and paid by parents. This heavy burden on families is one of the main causes of the high school dropout rate*1. Three out of five children complete primary school, a quarter complete lower secondary school and one in six completes upper secondary school*2.
*1Source: Agence Française de Développement / *2 Source: Unicef
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Nearly half the population is made up of children. The country is marked by a high level of precariousness, with 75.2% of the population living below the poverty line in 2022 (Source: World Bank). This situation is accompanied by major inequalities, both economic and social, which particularly affect people with disabilities, not least because of the stigma associated with their condition. This stigmatization is reinforced by cultural beliefs, with disability often perceived as a curse or the result of witchcraft, further accentuating the inequalities these people face.
Although the Malagasy government has adopted legal provisions in favor of people with disabilities, to date there is no national program that takes into account the specific needs of children and young people with disabilities within the public education system (Source: Unicef). As a result, the vast majority of them are excluded from the school system. Those who do are at greater risk of academic failure, due to the lack of facilities adapted to their specific needs. These various shortcomings constitute a major obstacle to their social and professional integration, limiting their prospects for autonomy and participation in economic life. Faced with these shortcomings, the educational care of children and young people with disabilities relies mainly on private initiatives, which attempt to make up for these shortcomings by offering solutions adapted to their needs.
ASED has been working in Madagascar with local partners since 1994. Today, it focuses on the education, training and social integration of children with disabilities.