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Malian students from different ethnic groups attend a class at a school in Gao Picture: /Marco Dormino

Insecurity in聽northern Mali has forced teachers to flee and schools to remain聽closed, leaving hundreds of thousands of children out of聽education three months into the academic year.

More than 380,000 children aged seven to 15 are still out of聽school almost four years after conflict involving rival armed聽groups and Islamist militants erupted in the West African聽nation, according to the United Nations children鈥檚 agency .

One in six schools in conflict-hit areas in northern Mali 鈥撀爊early 300 鈥� remains closed, many for the third year in a row,聽after being damaged, destroyed or occupied by armed groups.

Many parents are keeping children at home fearing they will聽be attacked or hit by unexploded mines on the way to school,聽UNICEF said.

It also noted that some 600 teachers had fled the north or聽are refusing to work due to the insecurity 鈥� leading to a聽teacher shortage.

鈥淐hildren in northern Mali know too well the impact of聽conflict, poverty and deprivation 鈥� The dream of building a聽better future for Mali鈥檚 children depends on action now,鈥� Fran聽Equiza, UNICEF representative in Mali, said in a statement.

Children on their way to school in the city of Timbuktu 笔颈肠迟耻谤别:听/Marco Dormino

Islamist militants seized major towns in Mali鈥檚 desert north聽in 2012. They were driven out a year later by French forces but聽continue to carry out attacks on Western and Malian targets and聽have intensified their insurgency in recent weeks.

Three people were killed by an attack on a UN peacekeeping聽base last month in the desert town of Kidal, one of the聽worst-hit areas in the north where only one in five schools are聽open.

While a dozen schools have reopened there in recent months,聽most teachers are volunteers and only 3000 pupils are going to聽school compared to 7700 prior to the conflict, according to the聽.

Clashes in the north have subsided since a June peace deal聽between the government and an alliance of rebels, allowing聽suspended aid operations to resume 鈥� but limited access to Kidal聽is hindering efforts to improve education there, OCHA said.

鈥淏etter humanitarian access and more resources can鈥檛 come聽soon enough for those who have been deprived for so long,鈥� Mr聽Equiza said.

UNICEF is providing training and learning materials for聽thousands of teachers and school kits for up to 100,000 pupils,聽holding school lessons via radio stations, rebuilding schools聽and teaching children about the danger of unexploded mines.聽

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