Mathematics Interest Continues to Decline in Tunisia, Despite High Success Rates

May 13, 2026

The president of the Association of Parents and Students, Ridha Zahrouni, has sounded the alarm on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, regarding the decline in interest for the mathematics field in Tunisia, despite high success rates. He called for urgent reforms to the education system.

Speaking on Express Fm, Zahrouni stated that this issue has persisted for several years, particularly since 2015, and has been raised by successive education ministers without any structural solutions being implemented.

According to him, the mathematics field has not received the necessary attention, despite its essential role in many university specializations and vocational training paths, as well as its importance for future careers.

Zahrouni emphasized that mathematics goes beyond its academic dimension, playing a crucial role in developing logical thinking in students. He called for moving beyond mere observation to engage in concrete solutions.

He estimated that the mathematics field has been a "victim of educational choices" over the past few decades, criticizing what he calls "pedagogical confusion" related to the transition from teaching mathematics in Arabic in middle school to French in high school.

Zahrouni also highlighted the effects of the automatic promotion policy, advocating for a reform of the primary cycle to strengthen students' fundamental skills in reading, calculation, and learning, and to ensure a merit-based promotion, while correcting the gaps accumulated from the early years of schooling.

It is worth noting that a ministry of education official, Moncef Khemiri, had stated last May that the percentage of students oriented towards the mathematics field after the second year of secondary education no longer exceeds 7%, compared to around 20% twenty-five years ago.