VZCZCXYZ0025
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0452/01 0611102
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021102Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9942

UNCLAS TUNIS 000452 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI (TOKMAN), NEA/PD (FERNANDEZ AND AGNEW), 
AND NEA/MAG (LAWRENCE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PREL SENV KPAO TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIAN RESPONSE: COLLABORATING WITH 
PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM COUNTRIES IN SOUTH ASIA, NORTH AFRICA, 
AND THE MIDDLE EAST IN BASIC SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS 
EDUCATION 
 
REF: A. REF A: STATE 23320 
 
     ¶B. REF B: 2005 TUNIS 2333 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  Embassy Tunis welcomes the OES-led initiative 
to develop targeted activities in support of basic science 
and mathematics education, which are top priorities in 
Tunisia.  Opportunities I-V, presented in reftel A, are all 
viable options for collaboration with Tunisian groups.  In 
addition to the GOT establishments, science clubs, youth 
clubs, and the "Cite des Science" science museum are examples 
of private/civil society organizations that would also 
provide venues for this initiative.   Embassy Tunis' Public 
Affairs (PA) section is supportive of this initiative and is 
willing to work with OES.  However, given current personnel 
and budget constraints, PA will need additional funding to 
support in-country costs for advertising, outreach and 
project implementation.  Since this will be one of our first 
projects in math or science for K-12, Embassy Tunis suggests 
further study of Tunisia's current K-12 curriculum before 
final implementation.  As for specific suggestions on the 
best curriculum of mathematics and sciences courses to be 
offered, a more in-depth survey of the targeted groups would 
need to be undertaken before Post can respond accurately. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  Embassy Tunis welcomes the OES-led initiative to develop 
targeted activities in support of basic science and 
mathematics education, which are top priorities in Tunisia. 
Both the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Higher 
Education (MOHE) have expressed interest in improving the 
teaching methods for these subjects.  However, the MOE 
schools currently follow the European system of integrated 
math and science through grades K-12, which is quite 
different from the U.S. system.  Both subjects are taught in 
Arabic until the equivalent of 9th grade, and thereafter in 
French. 
 
¶3.  Opportunity I:  The MOE will be most supportive of 
programs that focus on capacity building for teachers and 
trainers, and that include supplementary materials. 
Curriculum reform is more sensitive, and the MOE is unlikely 
to welcome involvement in this domain.  Science clubs, the 
university "technopoles," and other technical institutions 
are likely partners and have long requested assistance from 
the Public Affairs (PA) section at the Embassy.  In-service 
teacher training centers at the MOE would welcome workshops 
and program development for teachers.  PA has already 
discussed this with several of the MOE training center 
directors.  There is also considerable interest in 
professional exchanges, however, Tunisian participation would 
increase dramatically if funding were provided. 
 
¶4.  Opportunities II, III, IV, V:  Tunisian youth across the 
country have access, even in rural areas, to youth clubs 
which provide after-school activities and training.  These 
clubs would be an excellent starting point in Tunisia. 
After-school sessions, or summer sessions would be most 
effective when using Arabic-speaking teachers.  Face-to-face 
contact with a science & technology professional would be the 
most effective, followed by videos and other materials.  It 
should be emphasized that for a youthful audience, videos 
must be somewhat entertaining to capture the attention of 
this audience, as many educational videos can be dull to 
young people.  One suggestion would be to model instruction 
on the entertaining format of "Bill Nye, the Science guy," or 
some other entertainment-oriented program.  Also, the 
secondary-level pilot project, "Virtual Schools of Tomorrow" 
in Tunisia is focusing on integration of technology with math 
and science. 
 
¶5.  Another area for collaboration is with the "Cite des 
Science," which is a science fair/museum in the capital of 
Tunis.  This complex is under the authority of the MOHE, and 
a partnership with the OES program could reach beyond 
students to a large number of inquisitive and talented young 
people and adults, as the center is open to the public.  Any 
proposal as to what should be offered needs to be cleared by 
the GOT to achieve buy-on of the program, and the Ministry 
must be able to clearly see the benefit for the groups 
involved. 
 
¶6.  On the civil society side, there is an organization 
called the Association of Young Scientists, which has worked 
collaboratively with OES on NASA exchanges (See Reftel B). 
They are active throughout the country and also have summer 
camps which offer instruction to Tunisian children.  Any of 
the initiatives proposed in opportunities II-V would work in 
all these private and civil society groups. 
E 
 
 
 
 
¶7.  Embassy Tunis' PA section is supportive of this 
initiative and is willing to work with OES.  However, given 
current personnel and budget constraints, PA will need 
additional funding to support in-country costs for 
advertising, outreach and project implementation.  Since this 
will be one of our first projects in math or science for 
K-12, Embassy Tunis suggests further investigation/study of 
K-12 curriculum before final implementation.  As for specific 
suggestions as to curriculum content of mathematics and 
sciences courses, a more in-depth survey of the groups we 
would work with would need to be undertaken. 
HUDSON