The standoff between the Ministry of National Education and the Syndicate of Education has been ongoing for some time and continues to escalate with a new dramatic twist. In an unprecedented and controversial move, Minister Mohamed Ali Boughdiri decided to take action against the teachers who are withholding the issuance of grades. In early July, a total of 350 school principals were dismissed, and the salaries of 17,000 teachers were frozen for a month. This drastic measure aims to exert pressure on the striking teachers, but it has also sparked intense and contentious reactions within the education community and beyond.
The Minister of National Education justified his decision by stating that “the fact that students are not receiving their grades is a disaster and a crime against the children.” He further added that “the country’s public finances cannot approve the teachers’ demands.” Mohamed Ali Boughdiri claimed that his ministry had accommodated the teachers’ requests and engaged in
serious and constructive negotiations with their representatives, who “rejected all proposals and even resorted to legal action against the ministry.”
However, these claims were strongly refuted by the deputy secretary-general of the General Federation of Education, Taoufik Chebbi, who asserted that no negotiations had taken place with the teachers. He accused the Minister of attempting to sow confusion among the teachers to weaken their movement. Taoufik Chebbi labeled the ministry’s actions against teachers and school principals as “illegal” and a “genocide against all teachers.” He emphasized that they would continue their peaceful struggle and not remain idle, vowing to do everything possible to defend their legitimate demands.
The National Executive Bureau of UGTT, also, released a statement after a meeting held on July 11, expressing its support for the basic education sector in their defense of their demands. The UGTT condemned the “policy of evasion pursued by the ministry in charge” and the “unprecedented collective punishment” imposed on professionals in the sector.
On Sunday, the sector’s administrative commission for basic education decided, after a meeting in Hammamet, to end the withholding of grades, which had been applied throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. According to Taoufik Chebbi, this decision came in response to the active engagement of the education sector and was influenced by the abusive measures taken against teachers, including the removal of positions for a number of school principals.
Despite ending the grade blockage, the education sector expressed its commitment to continue its activism from the start of the new school year. Evaluation conferences for the teachers’ movements will be organized, leading to a national conference aimed at exploring ways for the sector to continue its action, as highlighted by the union leader. Taoufik Chebbi stated, “Yes, we may have lost one round, but we have not lost the battle, and our sector will not be humiliated. The Federation will resume its activism at the beginning of the next school year.”
Hind Ben Ammar, the Executive Secretary of the Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC), reiterated her organization’s support for Tunisian teachers, emphasizing that “it is not possible to dissociate what is happening to teachers from the series of violations targeting the Tunisian trade union movement for some time now.” She addressed the freezing of salaries from over 17,000 teachers, which she sees as undoubtedly a collective punishment for those who have chosen an alternative form of protest by continuing classes and exams to avoid disrupting the school year while withholding the issuance of grades. According to her, these violations reflect the authorities’ contempt for social dialogue and transparent negotiations. The decision by the Ministry of National Education also explicitly violates international labor conventions No. 87, 98, and 135, which Tunisia has ratified. ATUC reaffirms its solidarity with Tunisian teachers and all trade unionists in defending their demands, ensuring they are protected from any form of harassment and violation, she added.
It is worth noting that the powerful Tunisian trade union center is targeted by several demonization campaigns, and some of its leaders are subject to harassment and legal actions. The situation has led to Tunisia being classified, for the first time in its history, among the ten worst countries in the world for workers in the 2023 International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index.
