Circular "Work and Transactions Regarding the 2026-2027 Academic Year" published by the Ministry of National Education (MEB); It includes regulations in a wide range of areas, from norm staff practices to school security, from healthy nutrition to the Türkiye Century Education Model, from teachers' working conditions to dress code. While teachers are defined as the "essential element" of education and training processes in the second article of the circular; It is stated that their professional reputation should be protected and strengthened, their demands and needs should be taken into account in their professional development, their active participation in planning and decision-making processes should be ensured, and their opinions and suggestions should be evaluated.
Commenting on the circular to Cumhuriyet, Eğitim Sen Ankara No. 1 Branch Secretary Sibel Gökçe Evci said that the regulations make visible how the Ministry actually looks at the teacher and said, "On the one hand, it is said that the teacher's opinions and suggestions will be taken into account, his/her active participation in decision-making processes will be ensured and his professional reputation will be strengthened; on the other hand, many areas of his professional life, from his place of duty to his vocational training, from the digital tools he will use to his clothing, are determined and supervised from the center. The teacher who emerges between the lines of the circular is a person who has a say and a decision. "He does not appear as an education worker, but as a practitioner who is expected to act in an area whose boundaries are drawn by the Ministry."
Noting that one of the most important provisions of the circular in terms of teachers' working lives is included in Article 43, Evci said, "It is envisaged that teachers with surplus staff will be appointed to educational institutions in need in their fields 'without any calendar', and that temporary teacher needs will be met from teachers with surplus staff, starting from the education region. The fact that the appointments will be made without any schedule brings up the question of how the teacher's right to choice, excuses, predictability of the workplace and their assurance during the relocation process will be protected. What is more controversial is It is envisaged that teachers who are in need or surplus staff, especially those who cannot be given teaching duties, will be trained at the National Education Academy and after training they will be assigned to other areas where teachers are needed. This regulation brings up an important question in terms of the quality of the teaching profession: If what makes a teacher a teacher of his/her field is the field education, pedagogical knowledge and professional experience he/she has received for years, can this knowledge be replaced by the training given at the National Education Academy? he said.
Reminding that the 26th article of the circular also requests the merging of branches in case the class size decreases during the academic year, Evci said, "On the one hand, there is a regulation that can reduce the number of branches, and on the other hand, there are provisions that allow teachers who have become surplus to norm to be relocated regardless of the calendar and to be assigned to other areas under certain conditions. For this reason, the issue of norm staff should be evaluated not only as personnel planning, but also in terms of the teacher's work security and professional identity. The same tension in the circular's approach to teachers also appears on the issue of professional autonomy. On the one hand, the teacher's planning, planning, "While active participation in application, evaluation and decision processes is mentioned, on the other hand, teachers are required to complete all modules in the teacher training packages prepared within the scope of the Turkey Century Education Model. It is regulated that teachers should not use mobile phones in the classroom and should avoid tools other than digital platforms determined by the Ministry for homework or information."
Reminding that in the 23rd article, teachers and education workers are asked to dress in accordance with the 'dignity of the profession', 'seriousness of public service' and 'social sensitivities', Evci said, "They are asked to wear aprons; it is envisaged that the practice will be followed by the national education directorates. What needs to be discussed here is not whether the teacher should wear an apron. Any teacher who wishes can of course wear an apron. What is most striking is what the Ministry follows. "While it is clearly regulated by the national education directorates whether teachers wear aprons or not, the Ministry, which monitors the aprons, cannot provide the same clear monitoring and assurance mechanism on how and with what resources the basic problems of public education will be solved, from teachers' working conditions to the need for cleaning and security personnel of schools, from students' access to free food and clean water to truly free education."
Evci, who argued that another striking aspect of the circular is to make the 'Turkish Century Education Model' a basic framework that spreads over a wide area of school life, said, "In the very first article, educational processes are associated with concepts such as the 'Turkey Century' vision, 'goals of our state', 'national stance', 'state will' and 'national unity and solidarity'. In the following articles, in line with the vision of 'From Roots to the Future', 'the Turkish world and the geography of our heart' are associated with concepts such as Common historical, cultural and civilizational values are desired to be imparted to students. Therefore, the education model is expected to be carried out in a way that will develop the student profile defined in the education model. This approach brings with it the debate on which values and what kind of student profile will be shaped by targeting public education; "It should not be an area of transfer of identity, but an area where differences can coexist and where students' questioning and critical thinking skills develop," he evaluated.
Stating that one of the most obvious contradictions of the circular is about public responsibilities, Evci said, "Detailed measures regarding school security, from controlled entry and exit to illumination of blind spots, from emergency measures to assessment of risks, are listed. However, there is no clear regulation on how to provide sufficient and assured security personnel to ensure the implementation of these measures in all schools. What needs to be done regarding cleaning and hygiene is stated, but it is not regulated how to provide as safe cleaning personnel as the schools need. Raising students' awareness about healthy and balanced nutrition and inspecting school food establishments." "The reality experienced by students who come to school hungry, who cannot fill their lunchboxes, and who drink water from the tap in the school toilet because they cannot afford it, is not reflected in the circular. Hunger is not a lack of awareness, and not having access to clean water is not a wrong choice; children's right to healthy nutrition and access to clean drinking water cannot be left to the economic means of their families; it must be publicly guaranteed."
Evci concluded his speech with the following words: "The circular also asks for no compulsory fees to be charged during registration and to avoid practices that impose additional financial burdens on parents. However, unless sufficient and direct public resources are provided for the basic needs of schools, banning money from parents does not make education truly free. The reputation of teachers is strengthened by an education system where they can get paid for their labor, work safely in their own field, and their professional knowledge and experience are valued. The quality of public education increases with a school system in which the basic needs of children are not left to the income of their families." "What is needed is not a uniform for teachers or advice for students, but a secure job, free food, clean water and quality public education. Because uniforms cannot cover up the increasingly serious problems of education workers, the lack of resources and personnel in schools, or the poverty that follows children to school desks."
Educator Maksut Balmuk, on the other hand, reminded that the legislation does not prevent teachers from wearing aprons, but there is no provision that the Ministry can make aprons compulsory, and said, "With this imposition, Minister Tekin preoccupied the agenda and prevented the discussion of problems in education. This initiative will not find a response from teachers. Some administrations will try to put pressure, some teachers may feel obliged, but the practice will not have a response in the education community. Being busy with an agenda that is not related to the problems of education means covering up the problems. Teachers will choose what to wear." "They know very well how to act in the future. Instead of preoccupying the public with such a virtual agenda, the problems of education and education workers should be addressed," he said.
