Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of AKP's coming to power. While celebrating the anniversary of his party with a post on his social media account, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin added the following note to the same video: "During the AK Party governments, we fought against tutelage, lifted the bans in education, strengthened equality of opportunity, and brought our schools together with the opportunities of the age." Tekin's defense that there are modern opportunities in schools despite all the violence and hygiene problems drew the reaction of educators.
Speaking to Cumhuriyet regarding Tekin's evaluations, Eğitim-İş Chairman Kadem Özbay commented, "The calendar is advancing, your understanding of education is jumping backwards."
Stating that the problems of 'violence, cleanliness and hygiene problems, crowded classes, double teaching, teacher shortage' continue in schools, Özbay said, "What equality did you strengthen when you could not provide children with access to a meal or a clean and safe school?" posed the question.
“HE SAYS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY WHEN HIS CHILD IS IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL”
Özbay continued his speech as follows: "They say that they have brought schools together with the opportunities of the age; there are schools where they have not yet been able to provide soap, cleaning staff and sufficient number of teachers! They also say "equality of opportunity". What we advocate is equality in education. Education is a right that cannot be left to the family's budget and the opportunities that the child will encounter. The child has rights; the state is obliged to guarantee this right. The language and policy of a Minister of National Education should be based on this responsibility. Summary of education in Turkey: The Minister of National Education's child is in a private school. Period! What a beautiful "world of opportunities"! Equality is not achieved by saying "The school's doors are open to everyone"; it requires creating conditions that will enable every child to learn and develop and providing more support to those who need it. In a system where those who can afford have access to quality education, the discourse of "equality of opportunity" covers up class inequalities.
“YOU REMAIN UNDETERMINED WITH WHICH FOOT YOU WILL ENTER THE CLASSROOM”
Arguing that it is a separate contradiction that "those who boast of lifting the bans bring co-education into discussion", Özbay said, "An understanding that considers girls and boys to be educated side by side as a problem speaks of modernization. You meddle with the teacher's clothing, the exam he will take, the words he will say; you do not determine which foot he will enter the classroom with. Then you talk about freedoms. The modernity of an education system is measured not by how far it keeps children from each other, but by how equal and free a future it offers them. We, the Republic, support the struggle for secular and co-education." "We see it as an integral part of the struggle," he said.
“SUCCESS DOES NOT EXPLAIN, IT DECLARES LOYALTY”
Pointing out that children's lunch boxes are empty and schools' need lists are long, Özbay reacted, "But the report card that the government gave itself is still fine." Addressing Tekin, Özbay said, "With these words, you are not describing the successes of education, you are declaring your loyalty to the political will to which you owe the seat you sit in. In an order where loyalty replaces merit, you are obviously meeting the government's need for praise before the needs of the schools!
The duty of the Ministry of National Education is not to make party propaganda. Your duty is to guarantee the right of all children to public, free, secular, scientific, co-educational and quality education!” he said.
