School modernisation programme has covered some 400 educational establishments (Minister)

Tunis: The closing meeting of the school modernisation programme (2017/2026), funded by the Tunisian government, the European Investment Bank, the German Development Bank and the European Union, was held Wednesday in Hammamet. Speaking at the launch of the second phase of the programme, Minister of Education, Saloua Abbassi, pointed out that "educational reform is closely linked to the rehabilitation and development of school infrastructure". She welcomed the great success of the programme, which has reached 395 schools, more than the 310 planned. Director General of the Programme Management Unit, Karim Daoud, said in a statement to TAP news agency that this programme will run from 2017 to 2026 and has a total budget of 220.5 million (20% in the form of donations, 60% in the form of loans and 20% paid by the Tunisian state). It has enabled the creation of 47 high and middle schools and the renovation and maintenance of 389 other establishments, in addition to the acquisition of a range of educational and teaching equipment, the equipping of school canteens and the purchase of vehicles, which have been distributed to the regional education delegations. He pointed out that the closing session of the School Modernisation Programme coincided today with the announcement of the launch of the second phase of this programme (2024/2029), which will focus on the construction of 80 primary schools in various regions of the Republic. It will also involve the acquisition of 75 school buses, particularly in rural areas, to solve the problem of transporting pupils, he added, stressing that the funds allocated to the second phase of the programme are estimated at pound 80 million, or 31% of the total, in the form of donations. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse