Statement from Eğitim-İş on October 5, Teachers' Day: Not a Day of Celebration, but a Day of Struggle

In the statement made by Eğitim-İş on October 5, it pointed out the problems regarding teachers' working conditions, economic losses and professional reputation, and said, "October 5 is not a day of celebration in our country; it is a day of seeking and fighting for rights against usurpation of rights, devaluation and impoverishment."

In the statement made by Eğitim-İş, it was emphasized that October 5 was a historical day that secured the rights of teachers with the "Teachers' Status Recommendation" adopted by UNESCO and ILO in 1966.

The statement included the following statements:

"October 5 is a historic day that internationally guaranteed the social status, humane working conditions, union rights and professional autonomy of teachers with the 'Recommendation on the Status of Teachers' adopted by UNESCO and ILO in 1966. Turkey also signed this universal document, but almost none of the commitments in the document have been fulfilled over the intervening decades.

For this reason, October 5 is not a day of celebration in our country; It is the day of seeking and fighting for rights against usurpation of rights, devaluation and impoverishment. While the first thing guaranteed by the contract was working and living conditions worthy of human dignity, today teachers' share in Turkey is; It is a professional life carried on with disrepute, poverty and concern for life safety. According to OECD's Education at a Glance 2026 report, teacher salaries increase as the profession begins and experience increases.

"THE LIFESTYLE OF WOMEN TEACHERS ARE TARGETED"

"However, although teacher salaries in Turkey have increased on paper, they are decreasing every year due to inflation and the cost of living. The purchasing power of a teacher in Turkey has remained below the OECD average, and education workers have been forced to struggle to survive below the poverty line. Instead of solving the problems surrounding the working and living conditions of teachers, eliminating the cleanliness and security deficit of schools, and feeding children who spend a school day hungry, the Ministry of National Education increased the pressure on teachers with the circular it published.

By imposing aprons and clothes by taking shelter behind vague and unlawful concepts such as "social sensitivity"; Especially the lifestyle of our female teachers is targeted. A teacher's reputation cannot be achieved with an apron. Our dignity; "It comes from our enlightenment identity, our knowledge and the children whose lives we touch."