Mali Removes French Revolution from School Curriculum in Push for National History
Bamako, Mali – October 11, 2025,
General Assimi Goïta of Mali announced on Thursday the suspension of the teaching of the French Revolution (1789) or French history in all Grade 9 classes.
The directive, issued through an urgent memo signed by Secretary General Boubacar Dembélé, is part of a broader curriculum review aimed at aligning education with Malian history, culture, and identity.
The official Letter No. 000841 of October 9, 2025, instructed academy directors and pedagogical center heads to immediately suspend lessons on the French Revolution in all Grade 9 classes.
The memo emphasized that any deviation from this directive would compel the Ministry to take necessary measures, highlighting the mandatory and immediate nature of the suspension.
The decision is part of Mali’s ongoing efforts to reclaim and emphasize its national identity through education. There have been calls to move away from curricula heavily centered on colonial European history.
Recent symbolic reforms, such as renaming streets, squares, and public institutions in Bamako in December 2024, reflect a broader push to celebrate local historical figures and narratives.
Most educators welcomed the removal, arguing that focusing on Mali’s own history will strengthen students’ understanding of national identity and local social movements building a sense of National pride, while gaining global historical awareness.
The National Union of Municipal Education Officials (SYNEFCT) welcomed the suspension, noting it aligned with recommendations from a 2022 union retreat.
Mali’s removal of the French Revolution from the Grade 9 curriculum marks a significant step in the country’s educational reforms. It reflects a desire to teach history through a national lens, emphasizing African heroes, empires, and revolutions rather than solely European narratives.
