• Mali signs deal to align education sector’s digital systems with data laws

• Agreement includes training, curriculum updates, and secure data procedures

• New digital tools already saved $7M as education reforms advance
  

Mali’s Ministry of National Education (MEN) has signed a partnership agreement with the Personal Data Protection Authority (APDP). The deal, signed on Friday, November 7, is intended to strengthen the performance of the education sector’s digital systems and ensure they comply with legal and ethical standards.

Under the agreement, the MEN and APDP will work together to train teachers, supervisors and administrative staff in data protection. They will also help the ministry ensure that its data processing practices meet regulatory requirements. The plan includes adding data protection modules to national education programs to raise awareness among students and staff about the responsible use of personal information.

According to a statement posted on the MEN’s Facebook page, the two institutions will also develop secure procedures for collecting, processing, and storing school data. The goal is to protect students, teachers, and users and provide a safer digital environment for the education system. Minister Amadou Sy Savane said the initiative fits into the government’s broader education reform agenda, in which digital governance is a central element.

The agreement comes as Mali continues modernizing its education system. The country recently rolled out a web-based platform with 14 modules that centralize student registration, examinations, and attendance tracking. Available figures indicate the tool has already generated cost savings of four billion CFA francs, or about seven million dollars.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou