Education Sen Izmir: 2026-2027 Education Year Started with Problems

Education Sen Izmir branches shared their evaluations regarding the 2026-2027 academic year with the public. Savaş Candemir, Chairman of Eğitim Sen İzmir Branch No. 5, stated that the circular published by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) on August 19, 2026 did not provide solutions to the basic problems of the education system, and said that there were many problems in İzmir, from schools that could not be rebuilt after the earthquake to the use of common buildings, from teachers with excess staff to class combinations. Candemir said, "This situation is not just a building or construction problem. This is a direct problem of the right to education."

Evaluating the Circular No. 2026/70 "Work and Transactions Regarding the 2026-2027 Academic Year" published by the Ministry of Education, Candemir said that there are detailed regulations in the circular, from the digital platforms to the uniforms that teachers will use, but there are no concrete solutions regarding the budget, personnel, classrooms and teacher needs of schools.

Candemir said, "What teachers need is not a uniform order; it is a decent living wage, secure work, professional reputation and professional autonomy. What schools need is not more projects, platforms and bureaucratic data entry; it is sufficient budget, sufficient teachers, permanent auxiliary staff and safe educational environments."

Candemir, who also reacted to the appointment of surplus teachers to different educational institutions and the assignment of teachers to other fields, said, "Teachers are not responsible for the surplus norm problem. The consequences of incorrect norm planning, changed course schedules, school transformations and the Ministry's employment policies cannot be blamed on teachers."

Reminding that more than 300 educational institutions that were damaged or determined to be unstable after the 2020 earthquake in Izmir were demolished or evacuated, Candemir stated that the construction of many schools could not be completed despite the passing years.

Candemir said that construction works continue in many schools such as Yusuf Uz and Orhangazi secondary schools in Balçova, Sabri Kolçak and Necip Fazıl primary schools in Buca, Kars Halil Atilla and Naldöken Muharrem Candaş primary schools in Bornova, Melih Özakat and Salih İşgören primary schools in Konak, and Ali Yandım Primary School and Karşıyaka Primary/Secondary School in Karşıyaka, despite the start of the academic year. "Our students and education workers are left in an uncertainty that prevents the healthy conduct of educational activities," he said.

Candemir said that although many schools such as Balçova Anatolian High School, Buca Zübeyde Hanım Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, Buca Süleyman Şah Industrial Vocational High School, Bornova Tülay Aktaş School for the Hearing Impaired, Konak Salih İşgören Primary School, Beştepeler Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, Karabağlar Kazım Karabekir Secondary School and Katip Çelebi Secondary School have been demolished, the construction of their new buildings has not yet started.

Noting that some educational institutions had to use the same building due to deficiencies in school buildings, Candemir said that Şehir Uğur Sarıkaya Secondary School and Şehit Nazım Primary School in Bayraklı, Science High School and Sasalı Primary School in Çiğli, Anatolian High School and Yusuf Uz Secondary School in Balçova, Yavuz Selim Secondary School and Sabri Kolçak Primary School in Buca use the same buildings. he said.

Stating that in some regions three schools are located in the same building, Candemir said, "In Buca, Necip Fazıl Primary School, Ali Rıza Efendi Primary School and Mehmet Akif İnan Anatolian High School use the same building. Again in Buca, Zübeyde Hanım Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, Ötügen Secondary School and Buca BİLSEM are in the same building. In Konak Alsancak, Melih Özakat Primary School, Salih İşgören Primary School and Gazi "The secondary school uses the same building," he said.

Candemir said that thousands of students of different ages and education levels studying in the same buildings will cause lesson hours to be shortened, classes to become crowded and hygiene problems to become worse.

Stating that norm staffing practices and class combinations increase the victimization of teachers, Candemir claimed that some teachers became more than normative due to the guidance in determining elective courses.

Candemir said that music and physical education teachers at Buca Burhan Özfatura Secondary School have become surplus to norm due to elective course practices, and stated that savings measures aggravated the problem.

Candemir said, "Classes of 20-25 people are combined and teachers are reduced to over-standard staff. Classes at Mustafa Öğütveren Primary School and Secondary School in Konak Kahramanlar are combined to create classes of 40 people. As a result of this practice, 12 teachers are reduced to over-standard staff."

Arguing that similar practices are not implemented in Imam Hatip schools, Candemir said, "There are 5.5 students per classroom in Ziya Gökalp Imam Hatip Secondary School in Konak district, 8 students in Konak Imam Hatip High School, and 6.6 students in Konak Imam Hatip Secondary School. Despite this, class combination is not done in these schools."

Stating that some kindergartens in demolished schools and secondary schools were closed, Candemir said that the need for pre-school education in the center of Izmir is increasing. He stated that they received many complaints from parents about kindergarten registrations being limited on the grounds that "the quota is full" or on the condition that the fees are paid in advance.

Reacting to the closure of Foça Recep Kerman Sports High School and the transfer of students to Mustafa Kaya Sports High School, Candemir said, "This decision has caused serious grievances in terms of students' sports development, academic continuity, family life and teachers' working conditions."

Stating that Buca Süleyman Şah Industrial Vocational High School was evacuated within the scope of the agreement made with the World Bank, but the agreement was later canceled, Candemir argued that the relocation of the school to a non-functional and workshopless building reduced the number of students and caused teachers to become surplus to norm.

Speaking about Mehmet Akif İnan Anatolian High School, Candemir said, "What kind of planning is it to open a high school in a building that is not suitable for education and close it six years later, saying 'it is not needed'?" he asked.

Candemir, who also criticized some administrative appointments within the Izmir Provincial Directorate of National Education, cited as an example the appointment of Eğitim Bir Sen Bornova representative Oktay Taşdemir to the Directorate of Doğanlar Primary School instead of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Primary School. Reacting to the appointment of Yaşar Polat, İpek Çam and Yusuf Görmez as branch managers in Buca, Candemir said that these appointments caused merit discussions.

Drawing attention to the security and cleaning problems in schools, Candemir stated that there are still no security guards in some schools, and that the necessary cleaning and maintenance work is not carried out in some educational institutions.

Calling on the Ministry of Education, Candemir said, "Instead of trying to control every detail of school life from the center, starting from the uniforms of teachers, listen to the voice of education workers. Solve the problem of excess norms not by displacing teachers with ex officio appointments or assigning them outside their fields, but with healthy norm staff planning. Meet the budget and personnel needs of schools with public resources. Address the teacher shortage with permanent and secured appointments."

Candemir said, "Education is the future of children and society. This future should be established not with monist, marketist and centralized policies, but with the democratic participation of teachers, students, parents and education components. The problems we mentioned in the statement need to be resolved as soon as possible. We will continue to follow these developments."