In 1980, when Mali was governed under a dictatorship, literacy percentages fell to levels as low as 13.6% for adults and 25.6% for Malians ages 15 to 24.[1] However, a democratic movement in the 1990s resulted in the government making education more accessible by lowering educational fees and increasing the production of schools.[20] By 2000, those same literacy percentages increased by 26.7% and 38.7% respectively.[3] Additionally, by 1999, the government officially recognized bilingual education since most families spoke in one of fifty-six local languages.[8] Nevertheless, as mentioned in a study by Jaimie Bleck on the Malian capital of Bamako, this liberalization of education led to the crowding of students in public schools and a shift in interest towards private schools.[20] For example, some sections of Bamako have over 40% of students enrolled in private schools.[4]