As Turkey’s 2023-2024 academic year kicks off, the education system is grappling with a myriad of controversies and challenges, from the controversial ÇEDES project to the absence of mother tongue education and economic hardships – challenges that are not just only educational but also deeply political and social.
The ÇEDES project: “Creating a religious and vindictive generation”
The ÇEDES project, a joint initiative by Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), National Education Ministry (MEB), and Youth and Sports Ministry, aims to provide “values education” to students–values in question being religious and conservative. Also, the phrase itself is nuanced, potentially meaning both “I am ecologically aware, I protect my values” and “I am sensitive to my surroundings/the expectations of the society, so I fine-tune my behaviour to fit in.”
Kadriye Doğan, representing Turkey’s discriminated-against Alevi community as the co-president of the Democratic Alevi Associations (DAD), criticises the project for its “intervention in education by the Directorate of Religious Affairs” and warns that it risks “creating a religious and vindictive generation”.
The struggle for mother tongue education
As students across the country return to their classrooms, the spotlight shines on the issue of mother tongue education. Advocacy groups, including the Mezopotamya Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), have called for education in one’s mother tongue, particularly for Kurdish children. This plea comes against the backdrop of existing Turkish laws that only recognise Turkish as the official language in education, sparking debates over cultural preservation and linguistic rights in the nation’s schools.
In the opening speech for a forum organised by the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim Sen) in Van (Wan), Turkey, focusing on the right to education in one’s mother tongue, educator Kıyasettin Karatajdin leaves no room for ambiguity as he underscores the profound importance of language in preserving cultural identities. “Language is the lifeline of communities,” he states unequivocally.
Karatajdin noted a decline in the use of the Kurdish language, especially in homes, and called for collective responsibility to preserve it. In the same forum, lawyer Ali Şapkacı highlighted that the Turkish constitution and laws only recognise Turkish as the official language, effectively banning the use of Kurdish in education.
Economic crisis and its impact
During a press conference held in Izmir, Turkey, organised by the Eğitim Sen to address the challenges confronting the education sector at the commencement of the 2023-2024 academic year, Özcan Çetin, the president of Eğitim Sen’s 5th branch, articulated a series of critical concerns. He emphasised that the deepening economic crisis has placed significant financial burdens on families, leading to increased school-related expenses and exacerbating existing educational disparities.
Çetin took aim at the government and the MEB, critiquing their role in perpetuating issues within the education system through legal regulations and practical impositions driven by political and ideological motives. Of particular concern was the government’s strong focus on religious education, often in collaboration with various foundations and associations, which directly affects students, teachers and parents. Çetin also underscored the importance of education being free, lifelong and accessible in one’s mother tongue, advocating for alignment with scientific principles and the maintenance of a secular and democratic educational framework.
Gender discrimination and commercialisation
In an interview with Mezopotamya Agency’s Sedat Yılmaz, Nejla Kurul, the president of Eğitim Sen, unveiled the multifaceted challenges confronting the Turkish education system. Kurul pointedly remarked, “There’s a significant issue with children graduating without being educated in their mother tongue.” She underscored the politicisation of this issue, stating, “The issue is politicised, and citizens’ demands for education in their native languages are not being met.”
Kurul did not mince words when critiquing the new Education Minister, Yusuf Tekin. She expressed concerns about his affiliations and policy approach, noting that it leans towards religious and nationalist agendas. Kurul also criticised him for radical changes in the curriculum, including increasing compulsory religious courses.
Kurul specifically highlighted the growing unease regarding gender discrimination in the education system. She raised a significant red flag, stating, “This segregation is seen as a potential catalyst for increasing gender-based violence and discrimination.” Additionally, she decried the shift towards commercialisation in education, remarking, “There’s a shift towards commercialisation, with schools demanding high registration fees, thereby putting a financial burden on parents.”
Earthquake aftermath in Hatay
In Hatay, as schools prepare to reopen, the education system faces a multitude of challenges exacerbated by the aftermath of earthquakes that struck seven months ago. Despite these pressing issues, schools are resuming operations with ongoing renovations, inadequate access to clean water, and housing problems for teachers arriving from other cities remain unresolved. Özgür Traş, President of the Hatay branch of the Eğitim Sen, drew attention to these critical concerns and called for immediate action.
In response to these challenges, Eğitim Sen held a press conference on Monday, calling for equal, free, and quality education for all. They highlighted unresolved problems such as the impact of earthquakes on schools and students, lack of psychological support, and issues faced by refugee children. The union also criticised the government’s ideological influence on education, including the lack of representation for ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity.
