Protest from Eğitim-İş in front of the Ministry of Education: 'You cannot cover up the real problems of education'

Eğitim-İş gathered in front of the Ministry of National Education (MEB) on the first day of the new academic year to draw attention to the problems in education. Union members also brought with them uncleaned school images, cleaning materials and white coats.

Speaking here, Eğitim-İş Chairman Kadem Özbay commented, "No problem of education with a ready calendar has been solved" for the academic year.

Arguing that they entered the new era with a circular full of instructions for teachers, Özbay said, "AKP used the rhetoric of 'freedom of dress' during its rule. The Ministry of Education wants to cover up the real problems of education with aprons. We will not allow the real problems to be covered up. There are the realities of education under the apron. What is wanted to hide is the child's empty plate here. The school that is not cleaned, the classroom without teachers is here. This apron does not fill the child's plate, does not make the school clean, does not protect the student. How do children and teachers "Concern yourself about what you ate before dressing," he said.

'300 THOUSAND LIRA REGISTRATION FEE CLAIM'

"Opening the door of a school or ringing the bell does not make that school ready for education," said Özbay, adding, "If a child goes to school hungry and thirsty, you cannot say 'we are ready for education'. The chronic problems of the education system remain where they are. Poverty has increased, they sit at school desks. We see it in the child's missing book, in the bus they cannot get on, in the canteen they cannot go to. The cost of a child starting school is equivalent to 3 minimum wages. The Minister says there is no registration fee in schools. From 20 thousand liras to 100 thousand liras. In fact "The whole public knows that the registration fee of 300 thousand liras is paid in Istanbul. They call it a donation. What emerges is a compulsory voluntary donation system. We ask: In this case, can we really say that there is free education in public schools? The student is turned into a customer, the parent is turned into a financier, and the state is turned into a spectator."

'PROPAGANDA OFFICER WANTS TO MAKE IT'

Regarding the inclusion of the "Framework Law" in the educational environment, Özbay said, "The government wants to make the teacher its own propaganda officer. Our classes are not the place to legitimize the political agenda of the government with the imposed circulars. Social peace is built with secularism and citizenship awareness, not according to daily interests."