250. The Constitution of Mali provides the right to education in Article 18. The adoption in 1999 of a Framework Law on Education, provided for the incorporation into national legislation of international legal instruments relating to the right to education. 251. In order to make this right effective, the Government adopted a series of policies and measures that led to the achievement of tangible results. “La Lettre de Politique Educative du Mali” (The Letter of Education Policy of Mali) published in April 2006, lays emphasis on basic education, especially primary education, giving priority to the education of girls and training of women, to initial and further training of teachers, the development of early childhood, education of children to special education needs and non-formal education. By opting for a democratic school in a decentralized context, Mali has made a very clear choice as to the importance of the role and place of communities and local authorities, to make a profound change with a view to rebuilding its educational system. The educational policy is implemented through the Ten-Year Educational Development Programme (PRODEC), whose five-year plan is the Education Sector Investment Programme (PISE). 252. The analysis of some access indicators shows that progress has been made in the education sector in Mali. FORMAL EDUCATION: 253. The progress made in the education system in terms of access to education is reflected, between 2002 and 2010, in an increase in student enrolment in the first cycle of basic education. Indeed, enrolment rose from 1.29 million to 2.114 million including 969,466 girls, representing an average increase of 6% per year. Enrolment in public schools stood at 65.47% and that of community schools at 8.67% in 2009-2010. The enrolment in the first cycle would be 2,392,208 students in 2012. 254 The rapid development of student enrolment in the 1st cycle of basic education led to increased pressure on the second cycle where enrolment rose from 237,298 in 2002 to 582,613 in 2012. 255. Thus, with the start of 2011/2012 academic year, new needs in terms of classrooms in the second cycle were estimated at 5041 for an average ratio of 50 students per class. The number of existing classrooms stood at 5872. 256. To support this increase:  1 281 classrooms were constructed and equipped with funds from various sources (ABS, Netherlands, IDA, IDB and AfDB) to the tune of 10.675 billion CFA francs;  Twenty (20) new second cycle schools were opened in councils that do not have them and wherein the enrolment in Form One was over 65 students;  166 canteens already funded were created in the vulnerable areas of the country. 257. The rapid growth of enrolment equally induced pressure on secondary education, hence the need for regulation at this level, through a controlled guidance/regulation of intake. 51