A new incident illustrates the worrying deterioration of Tunisian school buildings. On Monday, part of the ceiling of a classroom at Ibn Khaldoun high school in Fernana collapsed while students were taking a lesson. Although the tragedy was narrowly avoided, fear and anger dominate the region.
A tragedy narrowly avoided
The collapse caused minor injuries: a student was taken to hospital for minor cuts, while a classmate, victim of a sharp rise in blood sugar due to panic, was able to return home after being treated.
But for Ferid Feddaoui, secretary general of the regional section of secondary education in Jendouba, this accident is only the symptom of a deeper evil. “This is not an isolated case. Everyone knows the state of school infrastructure in Tunisia,” he denounced Tuesday on Jawhara FM.
“Should we wait for dead people to act? »
The trade unionist recalled a dramatic precedent that occurred in Mezzouna, where two students lost their lives in the collapse of a school wall. “Has this school been rebuilt? No. Do we have to wait for deaths every time before we move? “, he was indignant.
Feddaoui points out that many establishments date from the time of independence and have never been renovated. “The lack of regular maintenance makes classrooms unsafe. In some, the walls are cracking, the ceilings are in danger of falling and the electrical installations are obsolete. »
Overcrowded rooms, missing teachers
In addition to the material risks, the union official points to other structural failures. “In several high schools, we exceed 35 or even 40 students per class. How to teach in these conditions, in crumbling buildings? »
He also mentions a worrying shortage of teachers in all disciplines. “Materials are no longer insured or are insured irregularly. Students lose valuable teaching hours, further widening inequalities between regions. »
Ferid Feddaoui regrets that official rehabilitation programs “remain on paper or progress slowly”. The only exception, according to him: the renovation of the Jaballah college, “achieved essentially thanks to local mobilization and not to central action”.
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