▁Sub - S ah aran ▁Africa . ▁Access ▁to ▁school ing ▁was ▁expanded ▁in ▁coast al ▁areas ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁period , ▁with ▁French ▁language ▁and ▁basic ▁work ▁skills ▁becoming ▁the ▁focus ▁of ▁the ▁curr icul um . ▁During ▁the ▁post - colon ial ▁First ▁Republic , ▁a ▁continued ▁reli ance ▁on ▁French ▁national s ▁as ▁teachers , ▁and ▁French ▁as ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁instruction , ▁dis ple ased ▁those ▁des iring ▁a ▁complete ▁separation ▁from ▁the ▁former ▁colonial ▁power . ▁Con sequently , ▁under ▁the ▁social ist ▁Second ▁Republic , ▁French ▁instruct ors ▁and ▁other ▁national s ▁were ▁exp elled , ▁Mal ag asy ▁was ▁declared ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁instruction , ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁cadre ▁of ▁young ▁Mal ag asy ▁were ▁rapidly ▁trained ▁to ▁teach ▁at ▁remote ▁rural ▁schools ▁under ▁the ▁mand atory ▁two - year ▁national ▁service ▁policy . ▁ ▁This ▁policy , ▁known ▁as ▁mal g ach ization , ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁a ▁severe ▁economic ▁dow nt urn ▁and ▁a ▁dram atic ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁education . ▁Those ▁sch oo led ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁generally ▁failed ▁to ▁master ▁the ▁French ▁language ▁or ▁many ▁other ▁subjects ▁and ▁strugg led ▁to ▁find ▁employ ment , ▁forcing ▁many ▁to ▁take ▁low - pay ing ▁jobs ▁in ▁the ▁inform al ▁or ▁black ▁market ▁that ▁m ired ▁them ▁in ▁deep ening ▁pover ty . ▁Ex cept ing ▁the ▁brief ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁Albert ▁Z af y , ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Rat si