SOCIAL RIGHTS
Sousse fights against school failure
In 2014, the National Youth Observatory published an alarming report on the state of youth in Tunisia: it showed a situation of despair, marginalization, and inclination toward extremism. With this information, the first pilot project saw the light in order to support schools with others state services trying to stop the actual youth situation. The creation of the Regional Observatory of Sousse on school dropout is the continuation of a pilot project in a primary school in the region and the mission is to overcome the problem of school dropout by creating a network of stakeholders in the field.
Tags: Social Cohesion, Employment, Social Inclusion
Challenges addressed
- Fight against students drop out
- Changing the negative representations on vocational training by socially valuing the intrinsic pathways
- Highlighted employability training
- Protection of young people against the risks of marginalization
Main objectives
- Articulate school-life with family-life and involve parents in the educational success of their children
- Reintegrate the school into the community dynamic and make it a place of dynamism at the neighbourhood level
- Fight against school violence
- Improve the educational infrastructure
- Localize young people who are on the edge to abandon school and reintegrate them into the educational or professional system
Facts
Project type Social inclusion
Promoter Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale
Start date 2014
Project description
This project is part of the improvement of the welfare of the inhabitants of Sousse and in a broader program of fight against poverty, initiated by the Municipality.
Thus, starting from the observation that one of the factors causing poverty and which is at the same time a consequence, the school failure, it was decided to approach this component through a pilot project which should promote the interaction between different structures at the city level and foster public/private partnerships to help students in difficulty.
The study was conducted during the 2014-2015 school year in Kheireddine primary school, located in the priority education zone (ZEP) in the city of Sousse, with funding from Medcities.
This project involves providing students at Kheireddine School with educational assistance to enable them to catch up at a school level. (Seven professionals (sociologist, psychologist, educators, etc.) assisted the students throughout the year). It also aims to offer children cultural and sports activities, in parallel with schooling. Finally, this project also aims to improve childcare conditions by restoring and improving the institution’s infrastructure.
Results of the pilot project
At the end of the first semester following the implementation of the pilot project, the school principal noticed an improvement in the results of the students in the program. At the end of the second semester, the impact of the assistance on the students was a great improvement in their behaviour, interest, and motivation in class. In addition, several associations came to the school to support the effort made by these students.
The good results from the Regional Observatory on School Dropout in Sousse has encourage the Government to develop the national program against school dropout.
Impact and results
- Pilot project during academic year 2014-2015
- 111.000 students
- 7 professionals assisted the students
- Encourage cooperation
- Improvement of social inclusion
- Poverty reduction
- Community educational commitment
- Promote social approach and sensitivity
Publications & main documents
- L’Observatoire régional sur le décrochage scolaire
- Projet « Ecole Kheireddine Bacha » : Innovation dans la lutte contre l’échec scolaire
- Tunisie: Entre le manque d’infrastructures et le manque de suivi, beaucoup d’élèves quittent les bancs des écoles
- Surmonter les obstacles à l’inclusion des jeunes
- Surmonter les Obstacles à l’Inclusion des Jeunes (full document in PDF)
Reference images & videos
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