Teachers denounce the deterioration of their working conditions and announce a national movement
The General Federation of Secondary Education (UGTT) sounded the alarm after its meeting on November 16, 2025 in Tunis. Faced with what it describes as a deep crisis in the sector, the union organization accuses the government of undermining union rights and renouncing its commitments. She unveils a mobilization plan including a national rally and a total boycott of graded evaluations from the second quarter.
A sector on its last legs
Gathered under the presidency of Abdallah Euchi, the Federation affirms that the daily life of secondary school teachers has never been so difficult. The price increases, deemed “exorbitant”, would have undermined the purchasing power of teachers, who were already financially fragile. The press release denounces an accelerated deterioration of working conditions, illustrated by the lack of teachers, the insufficiency of educational supervisors and the worrying dilapidation of many educational establishments, some of which are “threatened with collapse”.
On the organizational side, the Federation accuses the Ministries of Education, Youth and Sports as well as the regional directorates of monopolizing the management of the educational file, in particular in terms of transfers and assignments of personnel. She considers the current educational reform as a “populist slogan” carried out without real consultation, to the detriment of the quality of education.
Unkept commitments
For the Federation, the executive is directly responsible for the crisis. She accuses him of wanting to “attack union rights” by going back on several social achievements obtained during previous agreements with the UGTT. The commitments made during the conventions of February 9, 2019 and May 23, 2023 would have remained a “dead letter”, despite promises of implementation.
The demands presented during the congress of October 1 and 2, 2023 also received no concrete response. The union is demanding the immediate opening of “serious and responsible” negotiations, including salary increases and the application of the increase in the teaching costs premium.
It also requires that the agreement of July 8, 2011 be retained as the sole reference framework for the appointment of directors and general supervisors, as well as retroactive application to July 1 for all promotions.
National rally and boycott of evaluations
Faced with the impasse, the Federation is taking action. Two major initiatives have been announced: a national rally in front of the Ministry of Education, planned during the first term holidays and a total boycott of graded assessments, from the second term, including orals, supervised homework, practical work and end of term exams.
A decision which, if maintained, could profoundly disrupt the school calendar and increase tension between the UGTT and the government. The Federation claims to be acting to “save public schools” and defends the right of teachers to dignified working conditions.
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