The information and observations below were gathered during a five week trip to Turkey during the summer of 1998. They do not represent extensive research, and are intended only to pass on for interested persons recently collected information from lectures, visits to schools and conversations with Turkish educators. The author welcomes corrections and additions to the information below.

 Introduction

Education in Turkey has been and continues to be of critical importance to the nation’s political and economic development. Education through grade 8 was made compulsory in 1997 (previously it was compulsory through grade 5). This change has been controversial in Turkey, and is discussed briefly below in the background section. There are a wide variety of different types of high schools serving students in years 9-11. University entrance is very competitive and is decided based on exam scores and student preference. About one third of high school graduates go on to higher education, where associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees are granted.

It is impossible to enter any school or university in Turkey without seeing an image of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Most schools have a bust of Ataturk near the entry and paintings or posters of him in hallways and classrooms. Education was one of the tools Ataturk used to transform Turkey from the Islamic theocracy of the Ottoman Empire into a modern secular democracy. Today there are several issues in education resulting from the delicate balance between the secular government and the Islamic religion, practiced by 99% of Turkish people. One of these issues which has received some media coverage in the west involves the wearing of head coverings by devout girls in public universities. This has been officially banned, effective as of the fall of 1998. Students and parents who oppose the ban feel that it prevents girls form practicing their religion, which they believe requires modest dress, including covering the head. Some protests have occurred. Those who support the ban cite the importance of secularism in education and some say that the scarves are more a political protest than a religious custom.

As mentioned in the introduction, the Turkish education system is in transition from requiring compulsory education through the 5th grade to requiring students to attend through the 8th grade. This change has been somewhat controversial because it has made it necessary to restructure or close some schools. In addition, there is concern among some devout Muslim families that girls reaching puberty before the eighth grade will not be allowed to wear head scarves at school. There is some concern that these students might be removed from school by their parents.

According to Dr. Cennet Engin, professor of education at Middle Eastern Technical University in Ankara, the approximate percentages of students enrolled in schools are:

Preschool 8.9%

Primary School (K-8) 88.9%

Secondary School 54.7%

Elementary schools follow a standardized curriculum. Students study basic subjects in preparation for higher schools (lisesi). Elementary schools frequently struggle with insufficient funding, as teachers at a school in the village of Bala near Ankara confirmed. It is also difficult to attract teachers to rural villages.

There are many different types of secondary schools in Turkey, both public and private. Some focus on preparing students for higher education at a standard university. Others train students for specific technical or professional careers. Among those which prepare students for regular universities there are schools which specialize in math, science, and foreign languages. Among the schools which prepare students for specific careers are schools emphasizing various technical skills and those which prepare students for careers in commerce, journalism, cooking, secretarial work and many other professions. Imam-hatip schools are religious schools which train students for careers as clergy in Turkey’s mosques. Students in these schools study religion in addition to other subjects and theoretically prepare to become imams and hatips. However, there are very few jobs in these areas relative to the numbers of students attending those schools. Many girls attend these schools, although they may not serve as imams or hatips . Most students (or their parents) simply want to obtain an Islamic education in a setting they believe upholds their values. This belief was expressed by several students interviewed at one imam-hatip school in Mamak, Ankara.

Each spring, the university entrance exam is held. Students select from more than 60 universities in Turkey those they prefer and are then placed according to their performance on the standardized exam. When asked why they are studying a particular major, students often explained that it was because of their placement on the exam. There is a shortage of spaces in the university system, so many students who would like to attend are not able to. Recently several new private universities, most notably Koc University in Istanbul, have opened.

Dr. Cennet Engin, Ph.D. Instructor, Department of Educational Sciences, Middle Eastern Technical University, Ankara. Cennet@rorqual.cc.metu.edu.tr

Sevgi Siranli, Instructor of English, Ozel Isik Lisesi, Istanbul. Sevgi@hotmail.com

The Encyclopoedia of Comparative Education and National Systems of Higher Education (B. Oney, "Turkey").