Tunisia: Schools to Expand Cultural Clubs to Combat Violence & Student Disengagement

Tunisia’s Ministry of Education will expand cultural clubs in schools, colleges, and high schools as part of a plan to revitalize school life and combat student disengagement and violence, Education Minister Noureddine Nouri announced at the close of the National Forum on Image in Schools, Colleges, and High Schools.

The three-day forum brought together representatives from 26 regional commissions and 52 students, accompanied by their supervisors, from various governorates, according to a statement released by the ministry.

“These extracurricular activities are an essential component of a child’s personality development and a bulwark against social deviance,” Nouri said. He emphasized the goal is not to increase school hours, but to better utilize existing schedules to prioritize school life alongside academic learning.

Nouri, who assumed his post in August 2024, according to Directinfo, also praised the operate of the teaching staff, highlighted through presentations at the forum, and called for increased awareness and teacher involvement in the initiative.

The ministry intends to generalize the initiative throughout the education system by further integrating culture through various artistic mediums, including drawing, music, theater, and cinema, to foster well-rounded students capable of facing contemporary challenges. This approach is explicitly aimed at addressing “the rise of violence and other emerging social phenomena,” Nouri stated.

In November 2025, Nouri announced that his department had overseen the maintenance and renovation of 30% of schools and the construction of 13 new educational facilities, as reported by Leconomistemaghrebin. He also noted that most schools in Tunisia are now connected to a high-speed internet network through the implementation of the Edunet 10 program and are equipped with the necessary computer equipment for computer rooms and laboratories.

Earlier in September 2025, Nouri oversaw the official launch of the 2025-2026 school year at the Ben Arous regional education delegation, visiting Ibn Rachiq High School in Ezzahra and a local primary school, according to Radio Express FM.