Turkey's educational services are organized to meet the social requirements of a modern society. The Turkish educational system is democratic, modern, secular and co-educational. The aims of the system are to raise the prosperity and happiness of Turkish citizens and society; support and accelerate economic, social and cultural development in line with national unity and integrity; and make Turks constructive, creative and distinguished participants of a modern civilization.

The Turkish national educational system is regulated by:

A. Education and training laws

B. Development plans

C. National Education Councils

D. Government programs

A. Education and Training Laws

The basic services of the state are designed under:

The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey

Basic Law of National Education No. 1739

The Law for Unification of Education

Law No. 4306 for Eight-Year Compulsory, Uninterrupted Education

B. Development Plans

Development plans are prepared every five years to gauge the labor requirements of the country, labor-employer relations, resources allocated to formal and non-formal education, the distribution of these resources, and measures to improve the quality of education and training. Related measures are implemented in cooperation with the concerned organizations and institutions coordinated by the State Planning Organization.

C. National Education Councils

National Education Councils are consultative decision-making bodies attached to the Education Ministry under Law No. 2287 (1933), a law to develop and improve Turkey's educational system. They meet every three years. The councils function in a democratic framework as scholarly, participatory meetings. Their decisions are evaluated by the Board of Education. Before being implemented, these decisions are put into a final form by the education minister.

D. Government Programs

Government programs are prepared and implemented in line with the laws regulating education and training, the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, and the policies and strategies related to national education. 

2. SCHOOL SYSTEM

Under Basic Law on National Education No. 1739, the Turkish educational system consists of two main divisions:

a. Formal education

b. Non-formal education

A. FORMAL EDUCATION

The formal education school system has four levels:

Pre-primary education

Primary education

Secondary education

Higher education

Pre-Primary Education

Pre-primary education is optional. Children who have not yet reached school age may attend pre-primary school. The following are offered:

0-36 months (0-2 years old): Daycare

36-72 months (3-5 years old): Kindergarten and pre-primary school

Under the Eighth Five-Year Development Program, 16.1% of children attended these schools.

During the 2006-07 school year, nearly 641,000 pupils attended these schools.

Primary Education

In Turkey, attending primary school is mandatory for children age 6-14. All state schools are free.

Primary education consists of eight-year schools and is mandatory. At these schools, education is uninterrupted for a period of eight years and at the end, graduates are given primary school certificates. Primary education aims to be a process which takes into consideration students' interests, maturation, talents and vocational values in line with the aims of both Turkish education and modern education.

During the 2006-07 school year, nearly 10.9 million students (including those in open primary schools) attended these schools.

At the end of the Eighth Five-Year Development Program, the enrollment rate in primary schools was 96.4% (gross) and 90.1% (net). The Ninth Five-Year Development Program calls for a primary school enrollment rate of 100%.

Secondary Education

Secondary education covers general and vocational technical secondary schools which provide a minimum of fours year of education for primary school graduates. The aim of secondary education is to provide students, through various programs, with general culture and to prepare them for higher education, life and business in line with their interests and talents.

Schooling rates are as follows:

54.8% (gross) and 34.7% (net) for general secondary schools

31.8% (gross) and 21.8% (net) for vocational and technical secondary schools

The overall enrollment rate was 86.6% (gross) and 56.5% (net).

During the 2006-07 school year, nearly 3.4 million students (including open secondary school students) attended these schools.

 The Ninth Five-Year Development Program calls for a secondary school enrollment rate of 100%.

 a. General Secondary Schools

The aim of these schools is to prepare students to contribute to the country's economic, social and cultural development and to prepare them for higher education. These schools offer a four-year education program.

 During the 2006-07 school year, over 2.14 million students (including open secondary school students) attended these schools.

 b. Vocational and Technical Secondary Schools

Vocational and technical secondary schools in the vocational and technical general directorates are institutions which train young people in commercial and vocational fields and prepare them for higher education. These schools also offer a four-year education program.

They are made up of:

 l. Technical education schools for boys

2. Technical education schools for girls

3. Religious education schools.

4. Commercial and tourism education schools

During the 2006-07 education year, over 1.2 million students (including open vocational and technical secondary school students) attended these schools.

l. Technical secondary schools for boys

These schools, which function under the General Directorate of Technical Education for Boys, train young people as semi-skilled labor for national industry.

  2. Technical secondary schools for girls

 The main aim of the technical secondary schools for girls is to train young women as semi-skilled technical personnel in line with the general aims and basic principles of Turkish education. When their training is completed, these young women will be able to contribute both to industry and their family incomes. 

3. Religious Education Schools

İmam (religious official) or preacher high schools, established under Article 4 of Unification of Education Law No. 1739, are educational institutions which offer programs within the middle education system that prepare students both for higher education and for such positions as imam preachers.

 4. Commercial-Tourism Secondary Schools

  These schools train young people as skilled workers needed by the public and private sectors in Turkey in the following fields: commerce, tourism, bookkeeping, computer science, finance, marketing, banking, secretarial, insurance, exchange services, local administration, communications, etc. They learn a foreign language.

 Special Education School

Special training is given by qualified personnel using special programs in an atmosphere suitable for handicapped children.

Special education is available to children age 18 and under who, because they exhibit certain handicaps due to their physical, mental, psychological, emotional or social characteristics, are unable to benefit from regular education services.

Under the principle of equal educational opportunity, the Education Ministry considers the education of handicapped children to be very important.

 Guidance and Research Centers (GRCs)

The duties of guidance research centers include carrying out research into special education, determining how many children need such training, providing them with proper guidance, and offering special therapy to children who cannot harmonize with their social surroundings and related coordination activities.

Private Educational Institutions

Private Education Institutions cover various types and levels of private schools, and courses and training centers which operate under Law No. 625. The activities of these institutions are regulated by the Education Ministry. 

· Private Turkish schools which function as primary and secondary educational institutions (including vocational and technical high schools) are established by real and corporate bodies who are Turkish citizens.

· Private foreign schools which function as primary and secondary schools are established by foreign nationals and corporate bodies.

· Private minority schools which function as primary and secondary schools are established by non-Muslim communities (Greek, Armenian or Jewish).

· International private educational schools are established either by individuals and corporate bodies having foreign nationalities through a joint partnership with Turkish nationals or by Turkish nationals or corporate bodies. Only foreigners can attend these schools.

Higher Education

Institutions of higher learning lasting at least two years are based on secondary education. These institutions aim to meet society's requirements for skilled personnel at various levels. The development of countries in the modern world is determined by their level of education, science and technology. Turkey's basic aim is to reach international standards of higher education both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Since the Republic of Turkey was founded, significant developments have been seen in higher education. In 1933 the "Darulfûnun" became Istanbul University. During the 2006-07 school year, the number of universities (including private ones) reached 93, and presently over 2.4 million students (including over 845,000 open university students) are enrolled in these universities.

 B. NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

Non-formal education, one of the two basic divisions of the national education system, covers education, training, guidance and applied activities which are not included in the formal education system. Non-formal education applies to individuals who lack a formal education, or who are currently at a particular stage.

Non-formal education aims at providing adults with literacy skills and basic knowledge, furthering develop acquired knowledge and skills, and creating new opportunities for improving their standard of living. Non-formal education is made up of two main parts: general and vocational-technical education.

 Non-Formal Education Efforts

The Education Ministry is reorganizing the objectives, programs, structures of the school system, concentrating on efforts to develop, generalize and restructure school education and the training system in the context of lifetime learning, and focusing on lifetime education rather than non-formal.

Of the 925 non-formal educational institutes affiliated to Education Ministry, various services have been offered to individuals in all age groups. 

Public Education

Most educational activities offered at non-formal educational institutes take place at some 925 adult education centers. These centers offer the following types of courses and workshops to people of various ages and educational levels:

Literacy

Vocational

Social-cultural

                                                                In 2006,

· 1.67 million trainees (953,000 women and 721,000 men) attended nearly 80,000 courses

· Over 894,000 trainees (511,000 women and 383,000 men) attended some 42,000 vocational courses

· Over 585,000 trainees (308,000 men and 277,000 women) attended 26,000 social-cultural courses and workshops

· Nearly 195,000 people (61,000 men and 134,000 women) attended 11,000 literacy courses

Apprenticeship Training

Apprenticeship training includes the training of children and young people of secondary education age who have completed primary education but cannot continue this education for various reasons. Young people age 14-19 with at least a primary education are eligible for apprenticeships. Under the law, apprenticeship training is offered in 89 fields in all provinces of the country.

Under apprenticeship and vocational education legislation, the vocational educational system has established three basic fields of education: formal vocational education, apprenticeship and vocational courses.

  Distance Education

Distance leaning services are offered in order to provide equal educational opportunities and support training offered at primary and secondary educational institutions. Open primary schools (OPS-AIO), open secondary schools (OHS-AÖL), and vocational and technical open schools are included in distance learning educational services.

Open Primary Schools

Along with eight years of mandatory primary education, open primary schools have been established. Open primary schools provide citizens (first within the country, and then abroad) who graduated from elementary school but were unable to attend a secondary education institution for some reason with the opportunity to complete their eight years of primary education through distance learning.

Open Education Secondary Schools

Open education provides services for students unable to attend formal education institutions, due to a lack of opportunity, or who are older than the formal education age, or who want to transfer to an open high school while continuing with formal high schools.

Vocational and Technical Open Education Schools

Vocational and technical open education schools are vocational and technical educational institutions which provide educational opportunities for citizens who have completed primary education either through distance learning education or regular education programs, but could not benefit from vocational training due to various reasons, as well as citizens who could not attend a institution of higher education and acquire vocational knowledge and skills.

OPEN EDUCATION

In the 2006-07 school year,

Over 287,000 students attended open primary education programs.

Nearly 354,000 students benefited from open secondary school programs. Over 281,000 attended general secondary education programs, and more than 72,000 students benefited from vocational open education programs.

 4. MINISTRY EDUCATION AND TRAINING EFFORTS

  Measurement and Evaluation

The main goal of measurement of learning is not to track failure, but on the contrary to measure achievements.

The basic points in the evaluation of learning are:

1. Acquiring written and oral skills,

2. Boosting problem-solving skills

3. Providing a certain level of education and awareness

Moreover:

In spite of exams which evaluate the achievements of student success, the behavior and attitudes of students are assessed by teachers. School guidance services and families cooperate with each other, and the teachers evaluations are indicated on the students' transcripts as "Behavior Grade."

Evaluation of Student Achievements

A student's achievement in the first three grades of primary education is evaluated by classroom performance. A maximum of two tests or written exams are administered in grades 4 and 5 for evaluation purposes.

In grades 6, 7 and 8, a minimum of two written exams and one oral examination are administered for each subject. At the secondary level, the number of exams cannot be less than three per term for subjects taught in three or more teaching periods per week, and not less than two for courses taught for one or two teaching periods per week.

In addition to the exams, student achievement is evaluated through projects, assignments, on-the-job and classroom performance, and extracurricular activities.

 School Year Start and End Dates 

The school year begins in the second week of September and finishes at the end of the second week of June. School is open approximately between September 10 and the June 20.

One School Year

One school year comprises 180 working days. There are 185 holidays, comprised of summer vacation and weekends, along with midterm, national, and religious holidays.

Number of Periods Per Week

The number of school periods per week varies according to the type and level of school, as indicated in the table below.

Preschool: Preschool education lasts from 8 am to 6 pm in kindergartens and practice classes. There are also half-day schools.

Number of Compulsory Courses for Teachers at the Primary and Secondary Education Levels:

Kindergarten: 18

Primary education: (1-5 classes): 25 ("class teacher")

Primary education: (6-8 classes): 18 ("branch teacher")

High school: 15

                                Age for Each Level of Education:

Preschool

              Daycare-nursery: 0-2

                            Kindergarten: 3-5

Preschool: 4-5

Primary Education: 6-13

High School: 14-16

Higher Education: 17

After the completion of mandatory education, individuals may attend non-formal education classes.

  Diploma and Certificates

In Turkey, additional exams are not needed at all levels of education to obtain a diploma. A diploma is granted according to the evaluation of a student's average achievement throughout the student's school years, and is issued to the student by the school.

Exams are given to obtain a general diploma neither at the national level nor in private schools.

A diploma issued by a high school or an equivalent vocational school allows a student to enter a university. Diplomas issued by private schools founded under Private Education Institutions Law No. 625 are equivalent to diplomas issued by state schools.

Transition to University

Diplomas issued by a high school or any of its equivalent institutions make a student eligible to enter a university.

Students are admitted into institutions of higher education after passing a nationwide examination administered every year by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM).

EDUCATION AT THE BEGINNING OF 2007

1. CURRENT STATUS OF EDUCATION

Below are some considerations about the current status of the education-teaching services listed in the education section of the Annual Program for 2006 from the ninth Five-Year Development Plan for 2006-12.

The enrollment rate in the 2006-07 school year in preschool education (for age 4-5) reached 25% (gross) and 22.4% (net), in primary education 96.3% (gross) and 90.1% (net), and in secondary education 86.6% (gross) and 56.6% (net).

Some 9,900 (permanent) and 4,900 (contractual) teachers were appointed in February 2007 in order to meet teacher requirements in primary and secondary education.

In the 2006-07 school year, over 694,000 students from some 27,800 schools were transported to 6,400 center schools in 81 cities and thus, about 6.57% of the primary education students in this school year benefited from bused education. In addition, regulations implementing changes to the regulation of bused education went into effect.

In relation to restructuring lower secondary school education with a focus on vocational and technical education, and reorganizing the transition to higher education, Law No. 4702 went into effect to suggest modifications to Higher Education Law No. 2547, Apprenticeship and Vocational Education Law No. 3308, Eight-Year Mandatory Education Law No. 4306 and Education Ministry Organization Law No. 3797.

As part of computer-assisted education, efforts have been made to spread the use of computers. In the 2006-07 school year, the number of computers reached over 547,000 and more than 23,000 information technology classrooms have been installed in secondary schools.

· At the end of 2006, the following have been built: 186 kindergartens for nearly 15,000 students; 810 primary schools with some 10,900 classes for over 325,000 students; six regional boarding primary education schools (YIBOs) with 79 classes for some 2,400 students; four boarding primary education schools (PIOs) with 55 classes for 1,650 students; some 19,200 classes for nearly 576,000 students; some 7,500 classes for over 224,000 students added to 856 present schools; 44 apartments for teachers, 23 gymnasiums, 29 multipurpose halls, and 29 lodgings for 9,600 students; 61 schools (general secondary) with 1,200 classes for 36,000 students; 20 dormitories for some 4,300 students; six buildings with 92 apartments for teachers; four guidance research centers, three auditoriums, four gymnasiums, and 20 vocational education schools with 198 classes for nearly 6,000 students; seven workshop, two gymnasiums, two application hotels, and nine public education centers with 194 classes for 2,820 students; and two apprenticeship education centers with 16 classes for 480 students.  

2. STATUS OF EDUCATION AT THE BEGINNING OF 2007

Some 19.4 million students were at schools and nearly 680,000 teachers were employed in over 56,000 public and private education institutions. A total of 81.2% of the schools, 76.7% of the students and 88.3% of the teachers were included in the formal education system. A total of 18.8% of the schools, 23.3% of the students and 11.7% of the teachers were included in the non-formal education system.

In formal education overall, 7% of the schools are in pre-primary, 75.7% in primary and 17.3% in secondary education; 4.3% of the students are in pre-primary, 72.9% in primary and 22.8% are in secondary education; and 1.7% of the teachers are in pre-primary, 67.1% in primary and 31.2% in secondary education.

3. FORMAL EDUCATION

3.1. PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

Services related to pre-primary education are offered by nurseries, kindergartens, practical classes opened first and foremost by the Education Ministry and by daycare centers, nursery schools, daycare houses, childcare houses and childcare institutions opened by various ministries and institutions for care or education purposes based on the provisions of 10 laws, two statutes and 10 regulations.

In the 2006-07 school year, nearly 641,000 children are being educated and nearly 25,000 teachers are being employed in some 20,700 pre-primary education institutions.

SOURCE: Education Ministry's Strategy Development Department

3.2. PRIMARY EDUCATION

Primary education covers education and teaching services for children age 6-14. Primary education is mandatory for all citizens, whether boys and girls, and is free of charge in public institutions.

In the 2006-07 school year, over 10.8 million students are being educated and nearly 403,000 teachers are being employed in some 34,700 schools.