The Justice and Development Party (AKP)’s education reforms have significantly disrupted students’ schooling, leading to widespread uncertainty and interruptions in education, the Birgün daily reported.
Journalists uncovered that following a series of changes to the educational system, many students either dropped out or transferred to another school during the final two years of high school, which is a critical period for students planning to pursue university education. Reportedly, most students in public schools transferred to private high schools due to the poor quality of education. Those who could not afford private schools were forced to drop out entirely.
Many public schools in big cities, such as Istanbul and Ankara, have nearly empty classrooms because of the mass transfer of students. Imam Hatip schools, a type of vocational high school emphasizing Islamic education, report especially low numbers of students in the final two years.
For the last decade, the AKP government has increased the number of Imam Hatip schools, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said one of his goals is to forge a “pious generation” in Turkey. These schools are now largely empty due to their inefficiency in preparing students for university.
According to unionists, many families are scrambling to transfer their children from public schools to private schools.
Previous reports have revealed that public schols lack basic facilities, such as libraries, science labs and safe recreational spaces, which are essential for a quality education. Physical conditions are also often inadequate, with schools struggling to provide clean and secure environments for students.
Furthermore, frequent teacher turnover and a shortage of qualified educators have led to instability for students. Some children have had multiple teachers in a single school year, while others are taught by unlicensed or temporary educators due to staffing shortages.
Experts have repeatedly urged the government to develop better educational policies, focused on equitable access to quality education.
