DOCUMENT RESUME ED 104.737 SO 008 190 TITLE The Educational System of Tunitia. INSTITUTION Office'of Education (DREW), Washington, D.C. REPORT NO DHEW-OE-74-19109 PUB DATE 74 NOTE 19p. AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (Stock No. 1780-01369; $0.40) EDRS PRICE MF -$0.76 HC-$1.58 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS *Comparative Education; *Developing Nations; Developmental Programs; Educational- Administration; *Educational Development; Educational Finance; *Educational Programs; *Educational Strategies; Elementary Secondary Education; Government. Role; Higher Education; Public Education; Teacher Education; Vocational Education IDENTIFIERS- *Tunisia ABSTRACT An overview of the basic system of education.in Tunisia is presented in this booklet. Since Tunis a'sindependence in 1956, the government has amphasized the role ofetucation as a major factor in building a modern nation. The educational systemin Tunisia is based on both the nations own rich culturalbackground and also on the linguistic and pedagogicalheritage obtained from France during the French Protectorate (1880-1956). Tunisia'sleaders are committed to attaining universal primary education,providing educational opportunity to all levels of society, anderadicating illiteracy. Today the system is organized into a 6-yearprimary cycle And a secondary cycle that includes academic.,technical, and vocational programs of varying lengths. The structure,control, language of instruction, grading system, academic calendar,legal basis, administration, and financing of the system arediscussed. Special emphasis is given to the description of programsfor primary education, secondary and vocational education, teachereducation, and higher edrcation. Current plans for the future, aselected glossary of terms, and a selected reading list are alsoincluded. (Author/DE) U S DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH, EOUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION tr\ THIS D'ICUMENT MAR 21 19:15 HAS BEEN REPRO DuCED EXACTLYAS RECEIVED FROM Till PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ATING IT POINTS ORIGIN statco 00 NOTOF VIEW OR OPINIONS SENT OFFICIAL NATIONALNECESSARILY REPRE O EDUCATION POSITION INSTITUTE OF ri OR POLICY The Educational System of it U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Caspar W. Weinberger, Secretary Charles B. Saunders, Jr., Acting Assistant Secretary for Education ___Officcoaducation- John Ottina, Commissioner THE COUNTRYAND THE PEOPLE Location: Northern coast of Africa: bordered on the north Berber-spoken by approximately Ipercent. and cast by the Mediterranean Sea, on the cast and south Population: 5.1 million (1971 estimate). by Libya, on the west by Algeria. People: 97 percent Arab, Berber, or mixture; small Euro- Size: Approximately 63..100 square miles. pean minority. Major Subdivisions: 13gouvernorats(provinces). Official Language:- Arabic: Fiend' spoken as a second lan Literacy Rate: 80 percent (1970 estimate). guage by approximately .15 percent of the population Religion: More than 95 percent Muslim; small Christian and used widely in government, business, and education; and Jewish minorities. THE BASIC SYSTEM traditionally been accorded a place of respect in society. Until the latter half of the 19th century, however, education was primarily religious, with History instractinninthe Quran (Koran) offeredin Since Tunisia's independent._ in 1956, the Gov-kuttabsFor those who wished to continue their ernment has emphasised the role of education asreligious education at a higher level, there was the a major factor in -building a modern nation, andZitouna mosqueuniversity. By the latter half of its leaders have committed themselves to attaining the19th century, increasing contact with the universal primary education, providing educa-Westein Wor k! had resulted in a growing aware- tional opportunity to all levels of society, andness of Western ideas and .technology and their eradicating illiteracy. role in development. This awareness was reflected Education in Tunisia today is based both on in the curriculum of Sadiqi College, established in the nation's own rich cultural background and also 1815. Representing an attempt to combine modern on the linguistic and pedagogical heritage fromsubjects taught by Westerners with traditional France during the long period of the French Protectorate (1880-1956). 1 Kuttabs Imre religious schools where pupils, generally Tunisia is steeped in the religious and cultural aged 5 through 16, memorized the Quran and ivere taught Islamic traditions, and, in some cases, elementary reading heritage of Islam, a heritage in which learning has and writing. 1 04002 IQ SEA MF:DITERRANSAN Bizerte 34,:iibBag GULP OF 6 Tabarqah TUNIS T NIS PANIELLEHIA (I.talv) aAz .al dab urunb.11iyah abul KIIALIJ Al, I/AMMA MAT Aakthar Susah ALGERIA Al Qavayn ;1..4 QARQANNAH Q,11.,.,1 AS Suktlayrd. GULP OP CANES I.sr QAbis JAZIRAT .1a48104 Crwreway larks Et Oued Mada uyrn Zuwarah TUNISIA 410 1, L. Inr ',1!) 44.11 ,f 1p1 Pa, r,r:.AF 1-..; gag', Rt.in.J.J.rneer KIg^ Rrt4 2 " Tunisia: 1971 00003 Islamic studies, Sadiqi College offered a programliterature, Islamic religion ana thought, and--the that included mathematics, science, and geography, history and geography of Tunisia and the Arab in addition to religious subjects. World. From 1880 to 1956.During the French Pro- Under the Law of 1958 the system was organized tectorate (1880-1956), schools identical to those into begin with a 6-year primary cycle, which was France were set up for and primarily attended byto be followed either by a 6-year academic sec- children of European (chiefly French) settlers.ondary cycle leading to abaccalaureate or a Parallel to these, a system of Franco- Arabic schoolstechnical diploma, or by a 3-year terminal cycle developed that offered essentially French educa-(intermediate school, or college moyen) that would tion with the addition of Islamic studies andprovide practical training in addition to academic Arabic. This system later served as the model forstudy. Instruction during the firt 2 years at the the school system of inuependent Tunisia. Thereprimary level was to be entirelin Arabic; the were also two types of Quranic (religious)- schools:study of the French language was begun in the (1) Those that had added some modern subjectsthird year; and French becamejhe language of to the basic curriculum of Islamic studies, and (2) instruction for certain subjects inthe fourth year. those that had maintained the traditional cur- Entrance into either type of secondary program riculum without adding modern studies. Thewas based on results in a competitive,.entrance FrancoArabic and the Quranic schools were at-examination, with a third of. those .who-continued tended primarily by Tunisian Muslim children. Byat the secondary level directed into the-intermedi- the end of the Protectorate, however, only aate program. The goals of the academi secondary small percentage of Tunisian children were attend- prograth were to -provide_a general ed to ing primary and sccondary schools.= trainmiddle-levelpersonnel, andtoprepare From independence to 1967.Education, to thestudents for higher level study. The collte moyen, leaders of independent Tunisia, was a means ofa new creation of the1958 reform, provided creatinganindigenoussupplyof manpowerstudents 1%ith special skill training as well as gen- trained- in the skills and specialties needed toeral-education, thus enabling themtheoretically, -build and run a modern nation. It was also a-at leastto be absorbed into the economy in a means of developing an enlightened citizenry,comparatively short time. modern in thought and viewpoint and receptive The baccalaureate program was made up of two to new ideas of progress and social reform. Estab-3-year cycles. In the first cycle sttKlents followed lishing- a modern education system, to which alla uniform first-year curriculum, and then were Tunisians would have access,thus became adirected -toward more specialiied study for the matter of high priority. second and third years. The second cycle included Soon after independence in 1956, therefore, aa general program, an economics program,and technical committee addressed itself to the specifican industrial program. The general program was tasks of-unifying the existing educational structure,made up of the following specializations leading "renationalizing- the content of the curriculum,to a baccalaureate: Modern languages (including adapting it to the Tunisian context and to theboth Arabic and modern foreignlanguages), goals and needs of the country, and extending itclassical languages, sciences, or mathematics. In vertically and horizontally. The work ofthis addition, the general program included a 6-year committee resulted in the Education Reform Lawnormal school course following immediately after of 1958, which integrated- the various types ofthe primary cycle and leading to a diploma. The schools intoaunified national school system,economics program included an economics section modeled on the Franco-Arab schools and placedleading to _a baccalaureate and a commercial sec- under the jurisdiction of a Ministry of Nationaltion leading to a diploma. Students in time indus- Education. It also extended educational oppor-trial program could follow a specialization-either tunity to all social classes, and made education freein technical mathematics leading to a baccalau- at every level. A uniform curriculum was devel-reate or in industrial studies. In_the latter case a oped- for both primary and-secondary schools thatdiploma in