Thousands of Students Commute Daily to Educational Institutions
The time they spend searching for a means of transport often doubles the time they devote to classes.
La Presse — In both inland cities and Greater Tunis, these daily hassles weigh heavily on students’ morale.
Students at Their Wits’ End
According to their schedules, students must attend every session listed in the curriculum. As everyone knows, there are tutorials (TD) and practical labs (TP) that require mandatory attendance. The number of allowed absences in certain subjects is limited; exceeding this limit can jeopardize a student’s entire academic year.
However, these absences are frequently unavoidable. Unexpected disruptions—usually linked to transportation conditions—cause students to miss a tutorial and be marked absent. No excuse is accepted, and there is no possibility of justification.
Against their will, students are forced to endure the system’s uncertainties and transport‑related dysfunctions. Moreover, the physical and psychological impact of these daily travel challenges adds to their fatigue, which compounds the many everyday constraints and frustrations they already face.
To reach a university or institute far from home, a student often spends two hours or more covering roughly twenty kilometres. This is simply because multiple transport modes or transfers are required. Few students own a personal vehicle or can rely on car‑pooling, and university‑specific transport is not available for all destinations.
The result is a test of patience and endurance. Since this is a daily chore, the level of discouragement and bewilderment is palpable.
Developing Digital Platforms
Students are already physically exhausted and under pressure from exam deadlines—an issue that is especially acute right now. Some higher‑education institutions have scheduled supervised exams for the second semester during the ten days preceding the spring holidays, adding further strain.
Not all students are equally fortunate. Many struggle to continue their university studies; some even consider dropping out or have already done so.
Why doesn’t the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research promote distance learning—at least for those who wish it?
Some teachers, in collaboration with their students, have already launched initiatives in this direction. The options are numerous, and they can facilitate learning while sparing many students unnecessary hardship.
While in‑person classes will remain the priority, remote courses should not be relegated to the background or discarded. Their benefits are positive for students, teachers, and institutions, and they also bring financial advantages among other gains.
The need for platforms that host course content is obvious. Producing videos and audio recordings for all students, across all specialties and levels, should no longer be delayed.
The example of the Virtual University of Tunis (Uvt) is particularly instructive. The goal is not to copy this university but to draw inspiration from it. Successful experiences by some teachers and their students should be scaled up to the majority of higher‑education establishments.
Open‑access tools such as Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, or Moodle are already widely used.
Note: The private sector appears to be ahead in this field. It is surprising that some higher‑education institutions have enthusiastic teachers, while others—especially those specializing in computer science and networking—have yet to adopt e‑learning.
E‑learning remains the neglected child of our current education system. It is still common to hear teachers complain about lacking kits, video projectors, or connection cables to deliver their lessons. Efforts to equip institutions (at all levels) with the necessary equipment have not yet reached cruising speed.
Keywords: student commuting, transportation challenges, mandatory attendance, absenteeism, distance learning, e‑learning platforms, virtual university, higher education, Tunisia, educational technology, remote teaching.
