Tunisia‘s Education System: High Enrollment, Low Learning Outcomes
Table of Contents
Since independence, Tunisia has prioritized the democratization of education, achieving high enrollment rates at all levels. Though, this progress hasn’t translated into improved learning quality.
According to the 2023 MICS survey, 36% of children aged 7 to 14 do not master basic reading skills, and 68.3% struggle with mathematics. Thes results echo those of the 2015 PISA program.
The Covid-19 pandemic and recurring teacher strikes have exacerbated learning inequalities. School dropout rates remain concerning: 27% of students do not complete the first cycle of secondary school,with significant disparities based on socioeconomic background. 94% of children from affluent families complete this cycle, compared to less than 50% from modest families.
Each year, between 63,000 and 100,000 children leave school prematurely, with 30,000 having no educational or professional alternatives. The survey also indicates that 4% of children aged 5 to 17 are already active in the labor market.
Multiple Inequalities
In the first phase of secondary school, college attendance reached 76.5% in 2023,a decrease of 5.5% compared to 2018 (82%). Attendance is considerably higher in urban areas (80.6%) than in rural areas (67.4%).
This rate also depends on mothers’ education levels: 89.9% for children whose mothers have a diploma, compared to only 57.4% when the mother has not been educated. Furthermore, children from modest families attend school less frequently (57.2%) than those from affluent families (88.1%).
These disparities are also evident in the second cycle of secondary school. Although enrollment rates at this level remain stable (59.4% in 2023), notable differences persist based on living environment: 64.5% of young people in urban areas are enrolled, compared to only 48% in rural areas.
Tunisia’s Education System: Underfunding, Inequality, and Tragedy
The Tunisian Ministry of Education’s budget has risen from 998.9 million dinars in 2015 to over 8 billion dinars in 2025. However, its share of the state budget has decreased from 15.9% (in 2010) to 10.3% (in 2025), falling below the 15-20% threshold recommended by UNESCO. The majority of this budget is allocated to salaries, leaving only 8% for investment.
This underinvestment in infrastructure has tragic consequences, exemplified by the death of three students when a wall collapsed at the Mezzouna high school in the Sidi bouzid governorate.
despite the apparent free nature of education, it represents a significant financial burden for Tunisian families. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) estimates annual spending on private tutoring at around 1.468 billion dinars. Between 2021 and 2025, the price of school supplies increased by an average of 50%.
A Three-Tier System: Public, private, and Elite Institutions
Intended as a lever for equality and social mobility, the school system struggles to fulfill this role. The Tunisian education system is now multi-tiered. Success increasingly depends less on individual effort and more on the type of school attended and the socio-economic background of families.
Entrance exams for pilot colleges illustrate this selectivity. For the 2025-2026 school year, the intake capacity was 3,850 places, but only 2,683 students where actually admitted.
Disparities in Tunisian Education: Private Schools and growing Inequalities
recent observations reveal a significant advantage for students attending private schools in Tunisia, stemming from improved learning conditions available to those who can afford them. However, these institutions remain costly and socially selective, exacerbating existing inequalities within the education system.
Beyond the conventional public system, a number of private schools offer foreign curricula – French, British, Canadian, and others. Examples include the International Franco-British School,the Canadian International School of Tunis,and institutions affiliated with the French educational system.
Admission to these schools is highly competitive,requiring strong academic records,aptitude tests,and substantial tuition fees. The Canadian International School of Tunis (CIS), for instance, charges up to 7,500 Tunisian dinars annually for primary school. These schools primarily attract affluent families seeking to provide thier children with enhanced academic opportunities and pathways to higher education abroad.
Rather than mitigating inequalities, the Tunisian education system appears to highlight and reinforce them. Disparities are becoming increasingly structural, based on geographic location, socioeconomic class, gender, and the type of educational institution attended.
Despite repeated announcements, reforms to the education system have been slow to materialize. Often subject to political maneuvering, these delays contribute to stagnation, negatively impacting generations of students.