Tunisia: Understanding Conflict 2012 - Johns Hopkins School of ...

graduates are unemployed (SAIS Group Meeting, Tunis, 25 January 2012). Often, when
the youth talk about why they finally decided to protest against Ben Ali’s repression, they
claim that they wanted a life with dignity. But to them dignity seems in short supply
when their society has a problem with providing enough jobs for the remaining 30% of
Tunisia’s graduates. Unfortunately during the campaign period the politicians neglected
this concern. As the introduction quote suggests, many university students felt that the
politicians were speaking in another language and were not making any attempt to reach
out to their interests (Personal Interview, Tunis University Students, Tunis, 21 January
2012). The politicians’ discourse no longer reached the mass public and instead was very
much focused on the elite classes within Tunisia. This sentiment transcends socioeconomic
status and seemed to be a concern of many of the youth throughout the country.
Educational Reform
Many youth feel that change in Tunisia’s long standing education system is needed to
improve the country’s failing economy. Talking with youth around the country, it
becomes apparent that they are very well aware of the limitations of the current
opportunities that come with a university diploma. At face value, the education system is
very progressive for the continent. For Tunisians, primary and secondary education is
free, and if one can pass the baccalaureate, then they can seek the possibility of entrance
in one of 12 university campuses with affordable registration fees. 31 If they do not gain
admission to university, one can also go to a technical school to seek vocational training
in a broad range of subjects from computer programming to hospitality services. In
general, Tunisia’s education system has been attributed to its success, producing a large
number of college graduates and resulting in a literacy rate of around 78% for people
over 15 (World Bank, 2011). But regardless of the availability and the accessibility of
education, this system still does not necessarily translate into a job after graduation. As
31 The first year of university is normally free. Subsequent years require registration fees that can
be as high as $100. Normally this cost is affordable but there are people, like those from the
interior, who struggle to afford it. Also, compounded with room and board fees, university can be
prohibitively expensive for some.
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