In the latest assessment by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the island territory of Mayotte, a part of France located in the Indian Ocean, is under scrutiny for its persistent educational challenges. Despite being integrated within the French Republic, the education system in Mayotte is falling short of national standards, as highlighted in a recent report by HRW.
The 73-page review, titled “Exceptional Failure: France’s Persistent Education Shortcomings in Mayotte,” uncovers significant barriers preventing many children from accessing education. The challenges include overcrowded schools, insufficient classrooms, and a lack of basic resources such as drinking water and sanitation facilities. This situation deteriorated further when a cyclone in 2024 wreaked havoc on already strained infrastructure. Consequently, many schools have resorted to an alternating schedule, limiting the time children spend in the classroom each day.
Contrary to French legal guarantees of free education for children aged 3-16, a study by the University of Paris Nanterre reveals that nearly nine percent of children in Mayotte remain unenrolled in schools. Elvire Fondacci, HRW’s French advocacy officer, expressed profound concern about these conditions, stressing that children in Mayotte deserve educational opportunities equal to their peers in mainland France.
Efforts are being made by organizations like Libraries Without Borders, which collaborates with the French Red Cross to introduce a mobile media library and innovative “ideas boxes” designed to address educational deficiencies. Such initiatives are crucial, as the island grapples with a high youth unemployment rate of 43 percent among those aged 15 to 29.
The Foundation of France is playing a significant role in addressing these educational crises. Following the devastation of the 2024 cyclone, the foundation mobilized €43.6 million, dedicating €15.1 million to over 200 initiatives that focus on education and youth development in Mayotte.
Despite being one of France’s 13 overseas territories, Mayotte struggles with extreme poverty, with over 75 percent of the population living below the poverty line. As these challenges persist, the call for comprehensive educational reform and investment remains urgent, drawing attention to the broader issues of inequality within the French territories.