A Silent Manifesto: The New School Year Begins in Tunisia
2,325,443 students return to school today, September 15, marking the beginning of a new academic year. This massive influx of students, backpacks, notebooks, and hopes, is a testament to the country's commitment to education. Among them, 61,000 preschoolers take their first steps, while 1,161,638 primary school students, 570,655 middle school students, and 532,150 high school students continue their pursuit of knowledge. The entire country of Tunisia is set in motion by its children.
Behind this peaceful army of desks and blackboards, 160,000 teachers stand tall, patiently guiding the ship of education forward, despite the challenges they face. The new school year is not just a calendar ritual, but a renewed promise made by the Tunisian Republic to its youth: a promise of a future that is written on the blackboard before being etched in reality.
To ensure that this rendezvous with the future is not missed, the state has made significant efforts, mobilizing over 480 million dinars. This investment has resulted in:
- The construction of new schools
- The rehabilitation of 231 schools
- The installation of 31 prefabricated classrooms
- The installation of fences and surveillance cameras in 590 schools, including 90 schools with the help of civil society
These numbers reflect a clear will to protect, equip, and prepare students for the future.
In addition, to keep pace with the digital age, the educational landscape now includes:
- 2,260 mobile laboratories
- Nearly 29,380 laptops
- 17,585 desktop computers
- 4,600 photocopiers
- 4,500 multifunction printers
This silent revolution, if accompanied by effective pedagogy, can open doors to a world where competence triumphs over inheritance for thousands of students.
While challenges persist, such as regional inequalities, demographic pressure, and the risk of dropout, it is hard not to see the 85,000 new school furniture and 5,700 equipped classrooms as tangible signs of a national effort to keep schools as sanctuaries where civic consciousness is forged.
This new school year is more than just a return to school; it is a mental migration. A collective movement towards a Tunisia that is aware of its weaknesses but confident in its strengths. The youth who cross the threshold of the 6,164 educational institutions today do not just carry notebooks; they carry the future of a country that still believes in the promises of an unfinished revolution.
School is the foundation of sovereignty, but it is also an antidote to the tentacles of corruption. Let us not lose sight of this.
