The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040

Tunisia has achieved high adult literacy and education levels, ranking ninth in Africa for average years of education. However, the system faces significant bottlenecks in upper secondary completion due to language policies requiring French for science subjects. Quality is declining, evidenced by falling PISA scores and a drop in baccalaureate pass rates from 52% in 2016 to 41% in 2018. There are also stark geographical disparities, with resources concentrated in Greater Tunis and coastal areas, leaving rural regions like Kairouan underserved. The report argues that the curriculum is disconnected from job market needs, contributing to economic instability and the historical drivers of the Freedom and Dignity Revolution.

• Tunisia has a highly educated population relative to its region, with an adult literacy rate above 80% and the second highest average years of education in North Africa after Libya.
• The average Tunisian adult had 8.2 years of education in 2019, and this is projected to reach 9.4 years by 2040.
• Language policies create educational bottlenecks; while initial learning is in classical Arabic, scientific subjects require French, which contributes to high drop-out rates in upper secondary education.
• There is a documented decline in educational quality, with baccalaureate pass rates falling from 52% in 2016 to 41% in 2018, and 2018 survey data showing 72% of children aged 7–14 lack foundational math skills.
• Educational resources are unevenly distributed, with a concentration of facilities in Greater Tunis and coastal areas, while rural areas and the governorate of Kairouan suffer from fragile infrastructure and human resource shortages.
• The education system is misaligned with the economy, as the curriculum does not meet job market requirements and there is a growing need for English proficiency to maintain competitiveness.

APA

Cilliers, J., & Kwasi, S. (2023). The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie, and Stellah Kwasi. The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040. Institute for Security Studies, 2023. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |last2=Kwasi |first2=Stellah |title=The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=12 May 2023 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2023rebirth, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie and Kwasi, Stellah}, title = {{The Rebirth: Tunisia’s potential development pathways to 2040}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=country/tunisia&topic=08-education}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }