This research estimates and analyses the effect of terrorism on school dropout rates in the municipalities of Banikoara and Karimama in the Alibori department. Using a mixed approach combining econometric modelling and field data, the study reveals that the effect of terrorist incidents and school closures is not significant. However, school closures have a delayed effect of one year on the school dropout rate. Mediation analysis reveals that this link is entirely mediated by the repetition rate, since disruption to education leads to academic failure which, combined with the financial precariousness of households, causes permanent dropout. While parents attribute the causes of school dropout to fear of attacks and the resulting insecurity, teachers and head teachers point to the financial problems of families. To reduce school dropout rates in the context of the security crisis, the study recommends the implementation of ‘assisted promotion’ measures, cash transfers to families, the establishment of joint school-community monitoring committees, and specific bonuses for teachers working in communities affected by terrorism.
Madagascar, like several other African countries, introduced a support measure for public primary schools into its education system in 2002, known as the «school fund» (CE). While this measure, designed to alleviate the costs incurred by parents for financing minor maintenance and school operations, has seen some success, it appears to have lost momentum in recent years and reveals a significant gap between the current situation and its initial objectives. This research, which required both qualitative and quantitative data collected using administered data collection tools from one hundred and fifty-three (153) respondents, aims to understand the perceptions of school stakeholders regarding the «school fund» in the country. The results obtained show that while the «school funds» have alleviated some of the burdens faced by those involved in education, they still struggle to meet expectations. Their management and the mobilization of resources to fully cover schools’ needs were frequently cited as major issues by beneficiaries.