Tunis/Tunisia — "The low success rates recorded in the interior regions in the main session of the 2023 baccalaureate testify, once again, to the depth of the crisis in the education system," the Tunisian Forum for Economic Rights (FTDES) pointed out on Friday.

In a press release issued following the announcement on Friday of the results of the main baccalaureate session, the FTDES considers that the low success rates recorded in the interior regions are in line with the low rates of growth and development in these same regions.

The FTDES argues that the adoption of the same development model based on social inequalities and regional disparities only serves to deepen inequalities in access to quality education for all learners in the same country.

"Actually, the persistence of choices to privatise education services, whether regulated (private education) or informal (private tuition), through the reduction of State spending on social services in general and education in particular, has led to the degradation of infrastructures and the limitation of the necessary recruitment of teaching staff, thus depriving pupils from poor and vulnerable categories of the principle of equal opportunities," underlines the Forum.

Accordingly, it underlines the need to speed up reforms in line with a vision of inclusive development that would promote public education to foster social progress.

With a success rate of 56.05%, the region of Sfax 1 ranked first in the main session of the 2023 baccalaureate.

Sfax 2 came second with a success rate of 51.31%. The third place went to Sousse with a success rate of 50.76%.

At the bottom of the ranking come Sidi Bouzid (30.67%), Kairouan (30.41%), Tozeur (29.11%), Jendouba (27.52%), Gafsa (25.38%) and Kasserine (23.65%).