On the occasion of World Literacy Day, celebrated on September 8, 2025 in Tunis, the Minister of Social Affairs Issam Lahmar announced the adoption of a national strategy for the right to lifelong learning. Objective: promote economic and social inclusion, reduce discrimination and accelerate literacy.
During his speech, the Minister stressed that this strategy aims to transform adult education, based on the 915 national education centers which hosted nearly 22,000 learners in 2024. It constitutes a reference document to engage all stakeholders around inclusive learning.
The axes of the strategy
From alphabet to life skills: switching from basic learning of reading and writing to the acquisition of practical skills, in particular in a context of digitization of services (withdrawal of aid, registration for social security systems).
Interinstitutional coordination: strengthen partnership with the Ministry of Education to develop social education programs, support school inclusion and support students in difficulty.
The strategy plans to integrate digital skills and audiovisual supports to modernize learning, make it more interactive and flexible. It will be accompanied by regional action plans with measurable objectives to reduce the illiteracy rate, especially in the most affected regions.
Key figures
- Illiteracy rate in 2024: 19.3 % (INS)
- Women: 22.4 %
- Men: 12 %
This increase is partly linked to the Pandemic of Covid-19, which accentuated the isolation of non-literate people.
In 2024, 21,864 learners took courses in adult education centers, 44 % of whom were adults.
