Tunisia's early childhood sector faces collapse as 500 nurseries and kindergartens close
via Business News2 min read
Tunisia's kindergarten and nursery sector is in crisis, with professionals calling for urgent state intervention to prevent its collapse. At a press conference on Friday, April 24, 2026, they highlighted a critical situation marked by serial closures, increasing financial pressure, and a proliferation of unauthorized facilities. Approximately 500 kindergartens have closed in recent years, reducing the total number of establishments from 6,020 in 2024 to about 5,520 today. Nabiha Kamoun Tlili, president of the national chamber, stated that nearly 50.5% of Tunisian children lack clearly identified childcare structures. This void has led to a rise in unauthorized, "anarchic" facilities, with the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs closing 133 illegal structures between early 2025 and October. Professionals are demanding concrete measures, including the effective application of early childhood subsidies and specific aid for children with autism spectrum disorders. They also advocate for stronger controls, urging the Ministry of Education to intensify inspections in private schools, particularly regarding the illegal enrollment of four-year-olds, and to harmonize enrollment criteria for five-year-olds. These demands follow a protest on October 30, 2025, where professionals demonstrated against deteriorating working conditions.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Business News.
Tunisia's Minister of National Defense, Khaled Shili, met with Admiral George M. Wikoff, commander of US Naval Forces in Europe and Africa, on Monday, June 8, 2026. The meeting, which included the US Ambassador to Tunisia, Bill Bazzi, and the Chief of Staff of the Tunisian Navy, focused on enhancing Tunisian-American military cooperation, particularly in the maritime domain. Shili highlighted the historical friendship between the two nations and expressed satisfaction with the bilateral military cooperation program, which has accelerated since the signing of the 2020-2030 military cooperation roadmap. This partnership now extends beyond logistical and technical support to include training, military personnel development, and joint exercises. Tunisia aims to strengthen its naval capabilities by increasing expertise exchanges with the United States to improve the operational readiness of its national Navy's special forces. A key initiative is the creation of a Center of Excellence for elite maritime forces, intended to serve as a regional hub for specialized training, joint exercises, and multilateral activities like Phoenix Express. Admiral Wikoff praised the quality of military cooperation and the Tunisian Navy's expertise, reaffirming Washington's commitment to supporting the development of Tunisia's naval capabilities and operational effectiveness.
Must ReadA new 1,350-page scientific report from the UN, the third World Ocean Assessment WOA III, warns that the state of the oceans is worsening, with ecosystems and habitats approaching or exceeding critical tipping points. The report, which involved 600 scientists from 86 countries and covers the period between 2018 and 2023, calls for urgent action from states. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the ocean cannot continue to be viewed as an inexhaustible resource. Greenpeace also reacted, calling the report an urgent wake-up call and advocating for fully protected marine sanctuaries to prohibit all human exploitative activities, including industrial fishing and deep-sea mineral extraction. The report highlights multiple pressures on oceans, including climate change, pollution, and population growth, with 37% of humans living within 100 km of coastlines. The accelerated warming of oceans is a significant concern, with 16% of the total ocean warming over the last 70 years occurring since 2018. This warming leads to increased ocean acidification and accelerates sea level rise, which has increased from an average of 2 millimeters per year before 2015 to 4.3 millimeters per year in 2023. The report also suggests that an ice-free Arctic Ocean by late summer is possible by 2035. While some historical contaminants like mercury are decreasing, others such as cleaning products, drug residues like antibiotics, and especially plastics are increasing. According to Ian Butler, an
Must ReadChawki Tabib, former head of the National Anti-Corruption Authority Inlucc, was unexpectedly transferred from Mornaguia prison to Belli prison in the Nabeul governorate. His lawyers discovered the transfer on Monday, June 8, 2026, when they arrived to visit him at Mornaguia, and prison authorities provided no official explanation for the move or its exact date. This transfer follows Tabib's conviction on May 21, 2026, by the criminal chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for document falsification, possession and use of forgeries, and destruction of evidence. The case relates to documents sent in 2020 to the Assembly of People's Representatives concerning alleged conflicts of interest involving former Head of Government Elyes Fakhfakh during Tabib's tenure at Inlucc. This incident is not isolated, as several families of political detainees or prisoners involved in politically sensitive cases have reported similar transfers to distant penitentiary establishments. These moves complicate family visits and hinder regular contact with defense teams. Jaouhar Ben Mbarek's family recently raised concerns about his transfer, stating it worsened his detention conditions and imposed additional travel burdens on relatives. Other detainees in the alleged state security plot case have also been transferred or reassigned, drawing protests from their families and lawyers. For the families, these admini