Tunis, April 17 — President Kais Saied stated that the students who tragically lost their lives two days ago in Mezzouna due to the collapse of a school wall were "victims of negligence and years of corruption within these institutions."
He expressed condolences for the victims and wished a swift recovery for the two students currently hospitalised in Sfax, whose conditions he is monitoring around the clock.
During a meeting at the Carthage Palace on Wednesday, dedicated to addressing the state of educational institutions and urgent measures to protect students, the President of the Republic emphasised that the collapsed wall had been at risk of falling for over two years.
"Many walls across the nation--not just in Mezzouna--are on the verge of collapse due to lack of maintenance," he warned.
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The Head of State stressed that such hazards exist not only in Kasserine, Sidi Bouzid, or other regions but are widespread due to systemic neglect.
"Urgent measures must be implemented immediately, without excuses. Laws should not hinder swift action to save Tunisian lives," he declared, calling for rapid interventions to secure or demolish unsafe structures in all educational and public facilities.
"We are racing against time. Every hour without progress is an hour wasted," President Kais Saied asserted, describing the crisis as a "liberation war" requiring a militant spirit to ensure victory.
He pledged adequate funding to prevent future tragedies. "Every official who fails their duty must step down--they are unfit for responsibility," he added.
"We bear full national responsibility to ensure such incidents do not recur in schools or any other institutions, and to protect citizens so that every Tunisian feels respected as a citizen," the President of the Republic stated.
He added that these measures will be implemented before the establishment of the Higher Council of Education, which will oversee educational reform, systemic restructuring, and improvements to learning environments.
He highlighted the need to bypass bureaucratic obstacles, citing a stalled project in Fernana where a TND 250,000 budget for a school bridge was only completed after military intervention at a fraction of the cost (TND 90,000).
The President also recalled Tunisia's 1958 education law, which empowered local communities to maintain schools, and urged citizens to contribute through their skills (e.g., metalwork, carpentry, construction) rather than funds.
"Tunisians have always rallied in times of national duty, even amid economic hardship," he noted, referencing his own grassroots efforts in 2015-2016 to renovate schools in the Ettadhamen neighbourhood.
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The meeting was attended by Noureddine Nouri, Minister of Education, Moncef Belaid, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Riadh Chaoued, Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Sadok Mourali, Minister of Youth and Sports, Ahmed Boughali, Minister of Religious Affairs, Asma Jabri, Minister of Family, Women, Children, and the Elderly and Amina Srarfi, Minister of Cultural Affairs.
