Tunisia – Education reform: Who will do what between Parliament and the Higher Council for Education? (video)

The organic bill on sports structures is expected to be among the priority texts when parliamentary work resumes, according to Mounir Kamouni, vice-chairman of the Committee on Education, Vocational Training, Scientific Research, Youth and Sports at the Assembly of the Representatives of the People.

In a statement to Tunisie Numérique, Kamouni said the committee had already made significant progress in examining the proposal, following a series of hearings with several stakeholders from the sports sector.

Broader consultations on sports structures

Mounir Kamouni explained that the committee had broadened its consultations due to the importance of the bill and the scope of the reforms it entails, particularly with regard to the organisation of sports clubs and sports companies.

The hearings included the initiators of the proposal, the Tunisian National Olympic Committee, the Tunisian Association of Sports Law and the Paralympic sports association.

The committee also heard from several experts, as well as representatives of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts and the Order of Chartered Accountants of Tunisia.

According to the committee’s vice-chairman, this broad range of stakeholders is intended to allow a comprehensive examination of the various aspects of the proposal before the legislative process moves forward.

Study day planned for mid-October

The committee is also considering organising a study day in mid-October devoted to the proposed law on sports structures.

The conclusions of the event are expected to help further refine the text before the remaining stages of its parliamentary examination are completed.

Mounir Kamouni also stressed that amendments may still be introduced at later stages, including during the plenary session.

“The plenary session remains sovereign. Our ambition is for the final version of this law to live up to expectations and to the efforts that have gone into it,” he said.

Education reform to be addressed through a broader review of the 2002 law

On the education front, the committee is considering a different approach. Several legislative proposals related to the sector could be examined as part of a broader revision of the 2002 framework law on education and school teaching.

“We want education reform to be comprehensive,” Mounir Kamouni said.

According to him, the establishment of the Higher Council for Education should encourage greater dialogue, interaction and cooperation with Parliament as part of the planned reform process.

A consultative role for the Higher Council for Education

The committee’s vice-chairman stressed that the Higher Council for Education is a consultative body rather than a legislative one.

One of the key challenges, he said, is therefore to ensure coordination between Parliament’s legislative role and the advisory role of the Higher Council for Education.

Against this backdrop, the committee has chosen not to decide for the time being on several legislative proposals directly linked to the education sector, even though hearings have already been held with their sponsors.

School time, mental health and the single-shift system among the issues concerned

Among the proposals mentioned are a draft law on school time, as well as initiatives related to mental health and the single-shift school system.

According to Mounir Kamouni, these issues overlap with several provisions of the 2002 framework law. The committee therefore believes they could be addressed more coherently as part of a comprehensive revision of the text rather than through separate legislative initiatives.

The MP said the 2002 framework law now needs to be updated, while stressing the committee’s intention to pursue the reform through a participatory approach involving the various stakeholders concerned with the education sector.

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