Infant mortality was higher in the poorest western region of the country and in the south and among the lower strata of the population. Urban-rural disparities are also evident in the availability of health care services. Education Tunisia has achieved a level of school enrollment that compares favorably with countries at similar stages of development. Secondary School Enrollment . The gross enrollment ratio in Secondary school was 61 in 1995, a significant improvement from 27 in 1980.
Poor children are also much more likely to drop out than better-off pupils.
High drop-out and repetition rates reflect the selectivity of Tunisia's educational system. Tunisia National Report on Women, presented at the Beijing Conference, 1995. Tunisia was one of the countries in which female employment grew significantly in the 1970s, even more rapidly than male employment. Employment by Economic Activity. Tunisia's national labor force participation rates, as well as urban and rural participation rates declined between 1984-89.